• Energy Research
• 2025-2025close
• DK close
• Danish close

The purpose of this project is to research how digital communication platforms support sustainable micro-activism in the Danish ecovillages Avnø Oasis Ecovillage and Økosamfundet Dyssekilde. Further this paper examines how the ecovillages’ experience with communication platforms can be used in a larger societal perspective. Overall, this project aims to contribute to technological awareness regarding the use of communication platforms with the purpose of activism and furthering collectivism. This study uses explorative qualitative methods to gather empirical data on the ecovillages’ use of communication platforms and other technologies. The methods used were observatory field studies, visiting the above-mentioned Danish eco-villages, where we conducted semistructured interviews as well as informal interviews with the villages’ residents. The results of the interviews and observations presented their use of multiple communication platforms, with different purposes and functions. The identified purposes of the platforms were internal and external communication and organization of complex projects and everyday life. Additionally, the residents showed awareness of their use of these platforms regarding sustainability. This was present in their use and sharing of knowledge but also of the platforms’ own sustainability. Through these findings we conclude that the experiences of the ecovillages can benefit similar communities regarding community building, micro-activism and technological awareness through their use of communication platforms. This study also concludes how dominating commercial platforms are more effective in bigger activist movements. Even though these platforms have elements such as data-harvesting and personalized algorithms, which support individualistic tendencies and are less sustainable, the popularity of these platforms is beneficial for reaching a large audience.

This dataset contains transcripts from 8 semi-structured qualitative interviews, conducted as part of the research project eCAPE (New Energy Consumer Roles and Technologies – Actors, Practices and Equality), running from 2018-2024. eCAPE is financed by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union´s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement number 786643). The project is led by Professor Kirsten Gram-Hanssen from Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University. This sub-project examined how consumers and residents are part of a flexible energy system using smart heating technologies, and how such technologies affect their everyday lives. This part of the project mainly deals with everyday life at home, daily routines and tasks, energy consumption and comfort, as well as interactions with technologies and appropriation. The interviews were conducted in 2019-20 and different types of households were interviewed in their homes, on different locations. The interviews were conducted by Line Valdorff Madsen from Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University. Interviews were transcribed by a professional. The interviews were coded and analysed in Nvivo by Line Valdorff Madsen. The recruitment process and interview method are further described in the related peer-reviewed publications. All names are removed in transcripts and participants’ occupation and other personal data have in some cases been altered or removed to ensure anonymity. Alterations are marked with brackets, where anoymised words or sections are indicated with [anonymised]. Participants received written and oral information on the research purpose and handling of their personal data and gave their written or oral consent to participate. The interviews were conducted in the participants’ homes, except for one telephone interview. Photos were taken during the interviews with participants’ consent, but these photos are not published in the dataset due to the protection of the anonymity of participants. Apart from the interview transcripts this dataset contains the interview guide (Danish and English version). Apart from the interview transcripts this dataset contains the interview guide (Danish and English version) and the posted call for research participants (Danish and English version). To this date, the interview data have been analyzed in two journal papers: Aagaard, L. K., & Madsen, L. V. 2022. ‘Technological Fascination and Reluctance: Gendered Practices in the Smart Home’. Buildings and Cities 3 (1): 677–91. https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.205. Madsen, L. V., Larsen, S. P. A. K. & Hansen, A. R. 2023. 'Embodied competencies and smart home technology in energy use: three ways users integrate smart heating systems in everyday practices'. Energy Efficiency 16 (55): https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-023-10138-0