Energy Communities for Just Energy Transitions on a Local Scale: Initial Lessons from the Lightness Project †
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Method
3. Results
4. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Existing Energy-Related Community | Main Characteristics of Initial Energy Community | Size of Initial Community | Size of Pilot Community Aimed at |
---|---|---|---|
1. Italy (Cagliari—Condominium) | One apartment block with cooperative of apartment owners dealing with all building issues | 8 households | 8 households |
2. France (Chambery—Technolac business park) | Innovative business park | 230 businesses and university | 20 businesses |
3. Spain (Alginet) | Existing cooperative electricity supplier, supplying Alginet village | 13,000 inhabitants | 15–30 households |
4. Poland (Wroclaw, Spoldzielnia Poludnie) | Cooperative of apartment owners dealing with all building issues | 260 households | 10–20 households |
5–7. Netherlands (Woerden, Helden and Delft ‘Zero-on-the-Meter’ (ZOM) and non-ZOM houses) | Owners and tenants of ZOM houses and apartments newly built or renovated by one construction company, plus a selection of non-ZOM houses in the same neighbourhood | >200 households | 15–30 households |
Just Engagement Indicator | Pre-Engagement Phase | Recruitment Phase | |
---|---|---|---|
Recognition | Needs, wishes, and ambitions of community members are recognized | Roles, aims, and interests of stakeholders are identified Formal and informal structures of community are identified | All potential participants feel recognized and respected in the way they are approached with the chosen recruitment instruments |
Participation | Existing formal and informal structures, activities, and ambitions of the community are recognized | Readiness conditions for pilot and impact on participation are assessed | A diverse and sufficiently large group of participants is being recruited People are recruited after receiving complete, accessible, and trustworthy information and after giving their formal consent |
Distribution | All relevant stakeholders and their respective stakes are acknowledged | Potential benefits, costs, and risks of pilot activities for all stakeholders are identified | Participants and stakeholders feel that costs and benefits incurred through the pilot are distributed fairly among community members and between the community and related stakeholders |
Capacities | The group of community members participating in the pilot project is representative of their community in terms of age, gender, education, income, and ethnicity | Required capacities for meaningfully engaging in the project activities and valorising them are identified | (Potential) participants feel capable of meaningfully participating in the project; barriers for meaningful participation through lack of capacities are identified and addressed |
Responsibilities | Community members have an effective voice and vote in decision-making procedures | Activities in which participants are involved are identified, including possible responsibilities | Clear communication of expectations of participants throughout the project, as far as known Participants formally consent to take up responsibilities |
Learning | Full and trustworthy information about the pilot project and the activities deployed therein is readily accessible | Pilot leaders mutually discuss and reflect on planned engagement activities; Pilot leaders feel fully equipped to carry out the engagement process | Key process and outcome lessons from each engagement phase are recorded and used for the final recommendations for replication and scaling up |
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Slingerland, S.; Young, J.; Mourik, R.; Lutz, L. Energy Communities for Just Energy Transitions on a Local Scale: Initial Lessons from the Lightness Project. Environ. Sci. Proc. 2021, 11, 29. https://doi.org/10.3390/environsciproc2021011029
Slingerland S, Young J, Mourik R, Lutz L. Energy Communities for Just Energy Transitions on a Local Scale: Initial Lessons from the Lightness Project. Environmental Sciences Proceedings. 2021; 11(1):29. https://doi.org/10.3390/environsciproc2021011029
Chicago/Turabian StyleSlingerland, Stephan, Jordan Young, Ruth Mourik, and Lena Lutz. 2021. "Energy Communities for Just Energy Transitions on a Local Scale: Initial Lessons from the Lightness Project" Environmental Sciences Proceedings 11, no. 1: 29. https://doi.org/10.3390/environsciproc2021011029