“If something breaks, who comes here to fix it?”: Island narratives on the energy transition in light of the concept of practice architectures

Islands are often depicted as ideal locations for the development of renewable microgrids. However, island populations may encounter impediments on the path to the energy transition, due to the remoteness of islands and energy infrastructures not always adjusted to their environmental and socio-economic settings. Having conducted four months of fieldwork on two islands located off the west coast of Ireland, we empirically apply the concept of practice architectures to study how material conditions as well as situated institutional and economic infrastructures impact the adoption of renewables and may affect the idea of energy autonomy. We do this by exploring the following aspects: first, we look at the challenges faced by prosumers with photovoltaic panels (PVs), especially at how different heating and cooking practices co-exist in the transition to cleaner energy production; second, we explore how local conditions on these islands may affect the idea of energy autonomy; finally, in utilising the concept of practice architectures to help frame the previous two aspects, we aim to understand the challenges and opportunities for these islands in the transition. This analysis serves to present a wider picture of how the context and practice architectures of a place contribute to shaping everyday practices related to the development of renewables in the path to the energy transition. To conclude, we examine how these island communities have adopted strategies that go beyond technical solutions, thus proposing new narratives for the energy transition that can also be applied to other geographical contexts.