Energy communities; Community energy; Energy transition; Green energy; Citizen participation; Social innovation
Abstract :
[en] This paper provides novel additional evidence on the characteristics of Collective Action Initiatives (CAIs), investigating their role within the European energy sector. It analyses and presents results of a survey administered in six European countries: the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Poland, Estonia, and Spain. CAIs are studied in light of four key dimensions, those being their creation dynamics, the way they are organized, financed, and the activities they undertake. The results presented are also interpreted to reflect on their role as drivers of social innovation (SI) within energy transition in Europe. The analysis shows that the contribution of CAIs to the energy transition has a much wider scope than the development of energy projects and provision of energy services. CAIs are intrinsically socially innovative models of implementation as characterised by a strong level of citizen involvement and participation. Moreover, they have a potential multi-level role in the energy transition, from the technological and social perspectives. Indeed, alongside traditional energy activities, our results show that CAIs are evolving and expanding towards socially innovative activities, raising awareness on environmental issues, promoting citizens’ mobilization, and fostering social inclusion.
Disciplines :
Sociology & social sciences
Author, co-author :
Lupi, Veronica; Bocconi University > GREEN Research Centre
Candelise, Chiara; Bocconi University > GREEN Research Centre
Almuni Calull, Merce; Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek - VITO
Delvaux, Sarah ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de science politique > Département de science politique
Valkering, Pieter; Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek - VITO
Hubert, Wit; Jagiellonian University (Krakow) - JU > Institute of Sociology
Sciullo, Alessandro; University of Turin > Department of Culture, Politics and Society
van der Waal, Esther; University of Groningen > Faculty of Science and Engineering > Integrated Research on Energy, Environment and Society
Jimenez Iturriza, Izaskun; Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) > TECNALIA
Daniele, Paci; Commission Européenne = European Commission - CE= EC > Joint Research Center
Della Valle, Nives; Commission Européenne = European Commission - CE= EC > Joint Research Center
Koukoufikis, Giorgos; Commission Européenne = European Commission - CE= EC > Joint Research Center
Dunlop, Tessa; Commission Européenne = European Commission - CE= EC > Joint Research Center
Gregg, J.S.; Nyborg, S.; Hansen, M.; Schwanitz, V.J.; Wierling, A.; Zeiss, J.; Delvaux, S.; Saenz, V.; Polo‐Alvarez, L.; Candelise, C.; et al. Collective Action and Social Innovation in the Energy Sector: A Mobilization Model Perspective. Energies 2020, 13, 651, https://doi.org/10.3390/en13030651.
Walker, G.; Devine‐Wright, P.; Hunter, S.; High, H.; Evans, B. Trust and community: Exploring the meanings, contexts and dynamics of community renewable energy. Energy Policy 2010, 38, 2655–2663, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2009.05.055.
Wirth, S. Communities matter: Institutional preconditions for community renewable energy. Energy Policy 2014, 70, 236–246, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2014.03.021.
Yildiz, Ö.; Rommel, J.; Debor, S.; Holstenkamp, L.; Mey, F.; Müller, J.R.; Radtke, J.; Rognli, J. Renewable energy cooperatives as gatekeepers or facilitators? Recent developments in Germany and a multidisciplinary research agenda. Energy Res. Soc. Sci. 2015, 6, 59–73, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2014.12.001.
Capellán‐Pérez, I.; Campos‐Celador, Á.; Terés‐Zubiaga, J. Renewable Energy Cooperatives as an instrument towards the energy transition in Spain. Energy Policy 2018, 123, 215–229, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2018.08.064.
Wierling, A.; Zeiss, J.; Lupi, V.; Candelise, C.; Sciullo, A.; Schwanitz, V. The Contribution of Energy Communities to the Up-scaling of Photovoltaics in Germany and Italy. Energies 2021, 14, 2258, https://doi.org/10.3390/en14082258.
Spinicci, F. La Cooperazione Di Utenza in Italia: Casi Studio; Euricse: Trento, Italy, 2011.
Walker, G.; Devine‐Wright, P. Community renewable energy: What should it mean? Energy Policy 2008, 36, 497–500, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2007.10.019.
Hasanov, M.; Zuidema, C. The transformative power of self‐organization: Towards a conceptual framework for understanding local energy initiatives in The Netherlands. Energy Res. Soc. Sci. 2018, 37, 85–93, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.038.
Hewitt, R.J.; Bradley, N.; Compagnucci, A.B.; Barlagne, C.; Ceglarz, A.; Cremades, R.; McKeen, M.; Otto, I.M.; Slee, B. Social Innovation in Community Energy in Europe: A Review of the Evidence. Front. Energy Res. 2019, 7, 3, https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2019.00031.
Hoppe, T.; Vries, G.D. Social Innovation and the Energy Transition. Sustainability 2018, 11, 141.
Seyfang, G.; Park, J.J.; Smith, A. A thousand flowers blooming? An examination of community energy in the UK. Energy Policy 2013, 61, 977–989, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2013.06.030.
Bauwens, T.; Gotchev, B.; Holstenkamp, L. What drives the development of community energy in Europe? The case of wind power cooperatives. Energy Res. Soc. Sci. 2016, 13, 136–147, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2015.12.016.
Horstink, L.; Wittmayer, J.M.; Ng, K.; Luz, G.P.; Marín‐González, E.; Gährs, S.; Campos, I.; Holstenkamp, L.; Oxenaar, S.; Brown, D. Collective Renewable Energy Prosumers and the Promises of the Energy Union: Taking Stock. Energies 2020, 13, 421, doi:10.3390/en13020421.
Norbu, S.; Couraud, B.; Robu, V.; Andoni, M.; Flynn, D. Modelling the redistribution of benefits from joint investments in community energy projects. Appl. Energy 2021, 287, 116575, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.116575.
van Bommel, N.; Höffken, J.I. Energy justice within, between and beyond European community energy initiatives: A review. Energy Res. Soc. Sci. 2021, 79, 102157, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2021.102157.
Stewart, F. All for sun, sun for all: Can community energy help to overcome socioeconomic inequalities in low‐carbon technology subsidies? Energy Policy 2021, 157, 112512, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112512.
Hanke, F.; Lowitzsch, J. Empowering Vulnerable Consumers to Join Renewable Energy Communities—Towards an Inclusive Design of the Clean Energy Package. Energies 2020, 13, 1615, https://doi.org/10.3390/en13071615.
Ryszawska, B.; Rozwadowska, M.; Ulatowska, R.; Pierzchała, M.; Szymański, P. The Power of Co‐Creation in the Energy Tran-sition—DART Model in Citizen Energy Communities Projects. Energies 2021, 14, 5266, https://doi.org/10.3390/en14175266.
Atutxa, E.; Zubero, I.; Calvo‐Sotomayor, I. Scalability of Low Carbon Energy Communities in Spain: An Empiric Approach from the Renewed Commons Paradigm. Energies 2020, 13, 5045, https://doi.org/10.3390/en13195045.
Spasova, D.; Braungardt, S. Building a Common Support Framework in Differing Realities—Conditions for Renewable Energy Communities in Germany and Bulgaria. Energies 2021, 14, 4693, https://doi.org/10.3390/en14154693.
Moroni, S.; Alberti, V.; Antoniucci, V.; Bisello, A. Energy communities in the transition to a low‐carbon future: A taxonomical approach and some policy dilemmas. J. Environ. Manag. 2019, 236, 45–53, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.01.095.
Hicks, J.; Ison, N. An exploration of the boundaries of ‘community’ in community renewable energy projects: Navigating between motivations and context. Energy Policy 2018, 113, 523–534, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2017.10.031.
Wierling, A.; Zeiss, J.; Hubert, W.; Candelise, C.; Gregg, J.; Schwanitz, V. Who participates in and drives collective action initiatives for a low carbon energy transition? In Paradigms, Models, Scenarios and Practices for Strong Sustainability; Diemer, A., Nedelciu, E., Schellens, M., Morales, M., Oostdijk, M., Editions Oeconomia; 2020; p. 239, ISBN 979‐10‐92495‐13‐3.
Candelise, C.; Ruggieri, G. Status and Evolution of the Community Energy Sector in Italy. Energies 2020, 13, 1888, https://doi.org/10.3390/en13081888.
Rogers, J.; Simmons, E.; Convery, I.; Weatherall, A. Public perceptions of opportunities for community‐based renewable energy projects. Energy Policy 2008, 36, 4217–4226, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2008.07.028.
Goedkoop, F.; Devine‐Wright, P. Partnership or placation? The role of trust and justice in the shared ownership of renewable energy projects. Energy Res. Soc. Sci. 2016, 17, 135–146, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2016.04.021.
Vainio, A.; Varho, V.; Tapio, P.; Pulkka, A.; Paloniemi, R. Citizens’ images of a sustainable energy transition. Energy 2019, 183, 606–616, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2019.06.134.
Chilvers, J.; Longhurst, N. Participation in Transition(s): Reconceiving Public Engagements in Energy Transitions as Co‐Pro-duced, Emergent and Diverse. J. Environ. Policy Plan. 2016, 18, 585–607, https://doi.org/10.1080/1523908x.2015.1110483.
Ruggiero, S.; Onkila, T.; Kuittinen, V. Realizing the social acceptance of community renewable energy: A process‐outcome analysis of stakeholder influence. Energy Res. Soc. Sci. 2014, 4, 53–63, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2014.09.001.
Bell, D.; Gray, T.; Haggett, C.; Swaffield, J. Re‐visiting the ‘social gap’: Public opinion and relations of power in the local politics of wind energy. Environ. Politics 2013, 22, 115–135, https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2013.755793.
Radtke, J. A closer look inside collaborative action: Civic engagement and participation in community energy initiatives. People Place Policy Online 2014, 8, 235–248, https://doi.org/10.3351/ppp.0008.0003.0008.
Moss, T.; Becker, S.; Naumann, M. Whose energy transition is it, anyway? Organisation and ownership of the Energiewendein villages, cities and regions. Local Environ. 2014, 20, 1547–1563, https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2014.915799.
Tarhan, M. Renewable Energy Cooperatives: A Review of Demonstrated Impacts and Limitations; Social Science Research Network: Rochester, NY, USA, 2015.
Hubert, A. Empowering People, Driving Change: Social Innovation in the European Union. Available online: https://ec.eu-ropa.eu/migrant‐integration/librarydoc/empowering‐people‐driving‐change‐social‐innovation‐in‐the‐european‐union (ac-cessed on 8 September 2021).
Koukoufikis, G. Social Innovation and the Energy Transition—Towards a Working Definition. Eur. Com. Jt. Res. Cent. 2021.
Brancato, G.; Macchia, S.; Murgia, M.; Signore, M.; Simeoni, G.; Blanke, K.; Hoffmeyer‐Zlotnik, J. Handbook of Recommended Practices for Questionnaire Development and Testing in the European Statistical System; European Commission: Brussels, Belgium, 2006.
Tilly, C. From Mobilization to Revolution; Addison‐Wesley: Boston, MS, USA; Reading, MA, USA, 1978.
Padovan, D.; Arrobbio, O.; Sciullo, A.; Gilcrease, W.; Gregg, J.S.; Henfrey, T.; Wierling, A.; Schwanitz, V.J.; Labanca, N.; Dunlop, T.; et al. Collective Action Initiatives. Some Theoretical Perspectives and a Working Definition; COMETS: Torino, Italy, 2019.
Candelise, C.; Lupi, V.; novaresio, A.; Patrucco, P.; Sciullo, A.; Henfrey, T.; Wierling, A.; Schwanitz, V.J.; Kikas, M. Defining Indicators for Collective Action Initiatives (CAIs) and Social Innovation (SI) in the Energy Transition; COMETS: Torino, Italy, 2019.
Delvaux, S. COMETS Deliverable 3.1: Survey; COMETS: Torino, Italy, 2020.
Lupi, V.; Candelise, C.; Sciullo, A. Analyzing Typologies and Determinants of CAIs in the Energy Transition: A Survey. Deliverable 3.3; COMETS: Torino, Italy, 2021.
