Álvaro García Riazuelo (p), Sol María Halleck Vega, Rosa Duarte, Cristina Sarasa

Aragón, a largely rural NUTS2 region in Spain, has become one of Europe’s leading regions for onshore wind energy, with about 5.2 GW of installed capacity. Despite this prominence, the determinants of wind farms sitting within the region remain underexplored. This study investigates the factors that determine why wind power is installed in some locations and not others.
To address potential spatial aggregation bias (the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem, MAUP), we analyze data at a fine grid-cell level rather than using large administrative units. Our approach integrates diverse data sources, including regional statistics and GIS-derived variables, to capture economic, technical, and natural resource availability factors influencing site selection. We employ spatial econometric models to capture observed spatial dependence: wind farms tend to cluster geographically.
Results reveal a clear agglomeration pattern. The presence of a wind installation in one grid cell significantly increases the likelihood of nearby installations. While wind resource availability (e.g. long-term average wind speed) emerges as a strong positive determinant of site selection, it is not the only factor. Economic and infrastructure variables (such as proximity to transmission lines or demand centers) also play important roles. The analysis highlights, for example, that some areas with high wind potential remain underexploited due to socio-economic or regulatory constraints.
This research emphasizes its methodological contribution: by combining grid-based analysis with spatial econometrics, we provide a more robust framework for examining wind energy sitting than traditional zone-based methods. Understanding these spatial determinants is crucial for informing equitable territorial planning. Our findings can guide policymakers in designing wind energy policies and spatial plans that balance natural resource potential with economic and social considerations, aiming for a territorially just development of onshore wind power.

Mr Fabio Giussani (p), Dr. Simon Pezzutto, Dr. Giovanni Pernigotto

Rising cooling demand poses critical challenges for regional energy systems, infrastructure resilience, and climate adaptation. The CoolST project provides the first comprehensive, interdisciplinary assessment of South Tyrol’s cooling market, spanning residential, tertiary, industrial, and transportation sectors. By intersecting engineering, economics, user behavior, biology, health, and policy—domains that have not previously been studied together in this context—CoolST generates novel insights into cooling use patterns, energy consumption, costs (CAPEX and OPEX), health impacts from climate change, and biodiversity effects.

CoolST adopts a mixed-method, bottom-up approach to fill missing primary data across the region, complemented by expert consultation to validate reliability. Parametric simulations and scenario analysis enable projections of energy demand and cooling infrastructure needs through 2040. These outputs are made accessible through the CoolST Knowledge Hub, an online open-source repository, and the CoolST Tool, which transforms data into user-friendly visualizations and policy-relevant knowledge.

By providing the first holistic picture of South Tyrol’s current and future cooling market, CoolST supports energy providers, TSO/DSOs, policymakers, and citizens in planning strategies to reduce energy use, CO₂ emissions, and costs. The methodology is designed to be replicable in other regions, offering a transferable framework for understanding local cooling markets under climate and energy transition pressures. CoolST represents a novel, interdisciplinary, and actionable approach to informing regional energy and infrastructure policy in the transition era.

Ms Virginie Augereau, Mr Julien Le-Van-Suu (p), Ms Marie Guingot (p)

This research investigates the adaptation of urban sustainable logistics frameworks to the 11 inhabited islands of Brittany (Ponant Archipelago), where geographic isolation, fragmented supply chains, and seasonal tourism create distinct logistical challenges. Unlike rigid regulations, French logistics charters, which are voluntary and collaborative instruments, enable flexible governance by aligning local practices with national decarbonization goals while accommodating territorial specificities. Led by the Bretagne Supply Chain cluster, a regional intermediary between public and private actors, this approach fosters stakeholder negotiation and shared responsibility, bypassing top-down technical governance. The islands vary drastically: surface areas range from <1 km² (Île de Sein) to >85 km² (Belle-Île-en-Mer); populations from <250 to >5,000. Their logistics systems lack standardization, demanding context-sensitive transitions. Our original three-pronged methodology examines planning documents (charter & roadmap), territorial governance dynamics, and island maritime service characteristics. Using a mixed-methods design, we combine participant observation of charter development with 10–20 semi-structured interviews on Ushant and Groix, selected for contrasting surface areas and second-home ratios but comparable logistics structures. Data is analysed via textometry (IRaMuTeQ) to identify spatial specificities in discourse, comparing island approaches to urban models. Findings reveal how island governance navigates institutional fragmentation, economic constraints, and stakeholder diversity to operationalize sustainability transition, offering spatial planning insights for peripheral and maritime territories. The study contributes to understanding how voluntary, collaborative tools can bridge urban-rural divides in sustainability policy, particularly in fragile, non-contiguous geographies where top-down regulation is ineffective. It underscores the necessity of integrating socio-spatial realities (population density, transport dependency, seasonal flux) into sustainable logistics planning. This work provides a transferable framework for adapting urban transition models to island contexts, emphasizing governance flexibility, stakeholder inclusion, and spatially tailored solutions - key for EU and national strategies targeting decarbonization in peripheral regions.