Exploring Institutional and Socio-Economic Settings for the Development of Energy Communities in Europe
Energy communities (ECs), intended as collective action initiatives in the energy field involving citizens’ participation, have been gaining relevance for the past decades as an alternative way to organize the energy chain to challenge the incumbent system. With Europe’s recently adopted Clean Energ...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/4/1597 |
| _version_ | 1797480633892601856 |
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| author | Alessandro Sciullo Gregory Winston Gilcrease Mario Perugini Dario Padovan Barbara Curli Jay Sterling Gregg Osman Arrobbio Erika Meynaerts Sarah Delvaux Lucia Polo-Alvarez Chiara Candelise Esther van der Waal Henny van der Windt Wit Hubert Nele Ivask Marek Muiste |
| author_facet | Alessandro Sciullo Gregory Winston Gilcrease Mario Perugini Dario Padovan Barbara Curli Jay Sterling Gregg Osman Arrobbio Erika Meynaerts Sarah Delvaux Lucia Polo-Alvarez Chiara Candelise Esther van der Waal Henny van der Windt Wit Hubert Nele Ivask Marek Muiste |
| author_sort | Alessandro Sciullo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Energy communities (ECs), intended as collective action initiatives in the energy field involving citizens’ participation, have been gaining relevance for the past decades as an alternative way to organize the energy chain to challenge the incumbent system. With Europe’s recently adopted Clean Energy Package, ECs found a formal recognition by the European Union as potential actors of the transition of the energy system towards a wider and more decentralized use of renewable sources. Although the potential role of ECs in the transition is therefore hardly questionable, a thorough comprehension of the enabling factors that might foster their diffusion and scaling up is still lacking. Through a comparative analysis of the evolutionary trajectories in six EU countries regarding their energy systems, their regulatory frameworks and their historical evolution of ECs, namely through the example of cooperative models, this paper aims at providing some preliminary evidence about the factors and dynamics that seem to have played, and may play, a role in hampering or facilitating EC model diffusion. Attention is therefore specifically paid to three dimensions of analysis referring to: the energy mix and market structure; the institutional and policy landscape; the wider social attitudes towards environmental issues and cooperation among citizens. In addition to providing a wide comparison of different EU countries, the paper shows that the historical evolution pathways have to be carefully taken into account to understand what might trigger ECs exploitation in the EU. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:02:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bc8d4a7820a94a0f8a9e838a581f5cb4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:02:51Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-bc8d4a7820a94a0f8a9e838a581f5cb42023-11-23T19:46:37ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732022-02-01154159710.3390/en15041597Exploring Institutional and Socio-Economic Settings for the Development of Energy Communities in EuropeAlessandro Sciullo0Gregory Winston Gilcrease1Mario Perugini2Dario Padovan3Barbara Curli4Jay Sterling Gregg5Osman Arrobbio6Erika Meynaerts7Sarah Delvaux8Lucia Polo-Alvarez9Chiara Candelise10Esther van der Waal11Henny van der Windt12Wit Hubert13Nele Ivask14Marek Muiste15Department of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, 10153 Turin, ItalyDepartment of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, 10153 Turin, ItalyDepartment of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, 10153 Turin, ItalyDepartment of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, 10153 Turin, ItalyDepartment of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, 10153 Turin, ItalyDepartment of Technology, Management and Economics, Technology Transitions and System Innovation Division, UNEP-DTU Partnership, UN City, Marmorvej 51, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkDepartment of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, ItalyVITO, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, BelgiumVITO, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, BelgiumTECNALIA-Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Astondo Bidea, Edificio 700, 48160 Derio, SpainGREEN Research Centre, Bocconi University, Via Röntgen 1, 20136 Milan, ItalyIREES, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 6, 9747 AG Groningen, The NetherlandsIREES, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 6, 9747 AG Groningen, The NetherlandsInstitute of Sociology, Jagiellonian University, 30-962 Krakow, PolandTartu Regional Energy Agency (TREA), 51009 Tartu, EstoniaTartu Regional Energy Agency (TREA), 51009 Tartu, EstoniaEnergy communities (ECs), intended as collective action initiatives in the energy field involving citizens’ participation, have been gaining relevance for the past decades as an alternative way to organize the energy chain to challenge the incumbent system. With Europe’s recently adopted Clean Energy Package, ECs found a formal recognition by the European Union as potential actors of the transition of the energy system towards a wider and more decentralized use of renewable sources. Although the potential role of ECs in the transition is therefore hardly questionable, a thorough comprehension of the enabling factors that might foster their diffusion and scaling up is still lacking. Through a comparative analysis of the evolutionary trajectories in six EU countries regarding their energy systems, their regulatory frameworks and their historical evolution of ECs, namely through the example of cooperative models, this paper aims at providing some preliminary evidence about the factors and dynamics that seem to have played, and may play, a role in hampering or facilitating EC model diffusion. Attention is therefore specifically paid to three dimensions of analysis referring to: the energy mix and market structure; the institutional and policy landscape; the wider social attitudes towards environmental issues and cooperation among citizens. In addition to providing a wide comparison of different EU countries, the paper shows that the historical evolution pathways have to be carefully taken into account to understand what might trigger ECs exploitation in the EU.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/4/1597energy communitiesrenewable energy sourcesregulatory frameworkenergy systemscomparative analysisenergy transition |
| spellingShingle | Alessandro Sciullo Gregory Winston Gilcrease Mario Perugini Dario Padovan Barbara Curli Jay Sterling Gregg Osman Arrobbio Erika Meynaerts Sarah Delvaux Lucia Polo-Alvarez Chiara Candelise Esther van der Waal Henny van der Windt Wit Hubert Nele Ivask Marek Muiste Exploring Institutional and Socio-Economic Settings for the Development of Energy Communities in Europe Energies energy communities renewable energy sources regulatory framework energy systems comparative analysis energy transition |
| title | Exploring Institutional and Socio-Economic Settings for the Development of Energy Communities in Europe |
| title_full | Exploring Institutional and Socio-Economic Settings for the Development of Energy Communities in Europe |
| title_fullStr | Exploring Institutional and Socio-Economic Settings for the Development of Energy Communities in Europe |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring Institutional and Socio-Economic Settings for the Development of Energy Communities in Europe |
| title_short | Exploring Institutional and Socio-Economic Settings for the Development of Energy Communities in Europe |
| title_sort | exploring institutional and socio economic settings for the development of energy communities in europe |
| topic | energy communities renewable energy sources regulatory framework energy systems comparative analysis energy transition |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/4/1597 |
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