Identification of best practices aimed at favoring social acceptance of solid biomass projects at community level

Social acceptance is a relevant obstacle to the development of biomass energy plants, leading to a cost increase up to 30% of the investment. According to the literature, three types of acceptance are identified: i) sociopolitical, ii) market, iii) community. In particular, this last type of acceptance is at the basis of local movements opposing the realization of the investment, which is often referred with the so-called NIMBY syndrome. In the current paper, we challenge the identification of the best practices to enhance the social acceptance at community level, from a comparison of successful experiences related with solid biomass energy plants already operating in Italy and Spain. The investigation allowed us to identify five institutional measures, and six managerial measures, capable of favoring the social acceptance, and consequently to reducing the investment costs.