"‘Powerplay is accessible and educational" - Nanne Bakker

‘Powerplay is accessible and educational’

How much do people actually know about the energy transition? “Neighbours, family, friends and even politicians; not everyone is sufficiently aware of the complexity of the energy transition. That is why it is valuable to offer an accessible game like Powerplay to a broad audience. Players learn how every decision is connected to other choices and what the effects of those decisions are.” 

Speaking is Nanne Bakker. He is an Account Manager at the New Energy Business School of New Energy Coalition (NEC), a knowledge and network organisation focused on the energy transition. “I am responsible for new learning tools, in-company training programmes and open market courses on the energy transition for people who enter the sector later in their careers.” His colleague Tim Ottema, Project Manager at NEC, is responsible for organising all educational activities for New Energy Academy, which is aimed at students.

Accessible

Through their work, both see many examples of learning tools. “We work with e-learning programmes and make use of VR and other educational materials,” says Nanne. “For example, we also work with Quintel’s data model called the Energy Transition Model (ETM). This is an in-depth and widely adopted data model in which the many factors within an energy system can be explored with guidance, based on a vast amount of data. This also makes it quite complex. Powerplay is based on the same data but offers less depth, making it highly accessible.” Nanne has been involved with the serious game since the testing phase. “I provided feedback on usability. Is it accessible to a broad audience? Is the language understandable for everyone? Is it clear enough what is happening? It has become a very accessible game that anyone can play, even if they are not familiar with the subject matter.”

Complex

“Powerplay fits the goal we have as New Energy Academy,” says Tim. “We want to inspire people to see the complexity of the energy system. Everything is interconnected. You cannot simply build wind and solar parks, because there is grid congestion, it costs money and you need to keep local residents on board. We often focus on our own perspective; Powerplay broadens that view and adds nuance to decision-making.”

Perspectives

“The greatest challenge of the energy transition is its complexity and the interdependence of everything,” believes Tim. “Powerplay brings perspectives together. That is valuable. I live in a ‘green bubble’, so it is good for me to realise that citizens are not always happy with choices that are good for the climate. Although I am deeply involved in the subject, Powerplay still taught me something.”

Awareness

“It is great if this creates more understanding of how difficult it is to make choices, even when those choices are not popular,” says Nanne. “It is a difficult puzzle and there is a lot at play: grid congestion, geopolitical unrest, citizens who need to cooperate. Technologically, everything is possible, but there is so much more involved. Moreover, every little bit helps. Sometimes it feels pointless, but every grain of sand contributes to the desert. Powerplay brings awareness in an enjoyable way.”