Name of Method
Brief description
Energy communities refer to a wide range of collective energy actions that involve citizens’ participation in the energy system. They can be understood as a way to organise collective energy actions around open, democratic participation and governance, and the provision of benefits for the members or the local community. It is a broad concept, that can refer to collective switching campaigns, collective investments in solar panels, but also the ownership of an energy supply company, or even a distribution network. Depending on their activity and on the national regulatory framework where they operate, energy communities can take different forms and legal entities, like cooperatives, partnerships, companies with a community interest, foundations, non-profit organisations, trusts, and associations.
Through the Clean energy for all Europeans package adopted in 2019, the EU has introduced the concept of energy communities in its legislation, notably as citizen energy communities and renewable energy communities.
Type/Level of Method
Challenges
Energy communities contribute to increase public acceptance of renewable energy projects and make it easier to attract private or citizen investments in the clean energy transition. They provide direct benefits to citizens by advancing energy efficiency and lowering their electricity bills, thus contribute to fight energy poverty. Aligned with local policies for decarbonisation and decentralised energy production, they lead to long-term and trustful partnerships between municipalities and local or regional stakeholders. They are recognised as a fertile ground for social innovation.
Problem, Purpose and Needs
Relevance to Climate Neutrality
Challenges
Thematic Areas
Impact Goals
Issue Complexity
Issue Polarisation
Enabling Condition
Essential Considerations for Commissioning Authorities
The most successful energy community projects in Europe are those where groups collaborate with local authorities. Local or regional governments have everything to gain from promoting the scale-up of energy communities in their area. They can initiate new projects themselves, take part directly in one or several communities, or indirectly support them, for instance by creating a more favourable local regulatory framework.
Engagement Journey
Governance Models and Approaches
Enabling Conditions
Democratic Purpose
Spectrum of participation
Communication Channels
Actors and Stakeholder Relationships
Participant Numbers
Actors and Stakeholders
Participant Recruitment
Interaction between participants
Format
Social Innovation Development Stage
Scope
Time commitment
Resources and Investments
Typical duration
Resources and Investments
In-house
Step by Step
Evaluation
Connecting Methods
Flexibility and Adaptability
Existing Guidelines and Best Practice
References and Further Resources
Dedicated page on the portal of the European Commission: https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/markets-and-consumers/energy-communities_en
Caramizaru, E. and Uihlein, A., Energy communities: an overview of energy and social innovation, 2020: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC119433
Energy Cities, Community Energy: A practical guide to reclaiming power, 2020: https://energy-cities.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Community-Energy-Guide-web.pdf
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