{"title":"Energy communities, distributed generation, renewable sources: Close relatives or potential friends?","authors":"Stefano Moroni","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2024.103828","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The issue of “energy communities” is increasingly central to public and academic debate. However, the current discourse on energy communities often mixes three different aspects in an unclear manner. The first aspect is the type of energy source: that is, fossil or renewable. The second aspect is the general configuration of energy production: centralised or distributed. The third aspect is the type of prosumers: individuals or communities. These three aspects are not directly related (they concern three different issues), although they may be compatible. This article critically considers these three aspects and the distinctive advantages of the second item in the three pairs: renewable sources; distributed energy production; communities as prosumers. The intention is not merely to provide an overview of the state of the art; it is also to suggest a critical reframing of the discourse. The overall aim is not solely to distinguish different aspects (and advantages); it is also to clarify the real scope and meaning of each of them. Since the three aspects considered (renewables, distributed generation, energy communities) are distinct and conceptually independent from each other, various possible arrangements (i.e., combinations) can be imagined. The article critically considers these various possible combinations and discusses precautions and caveats in terms of policies that should be taken into account in this regard.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"118 ","pages":"Article 103828"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Energy Research & Social Science","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629624004195","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The issue of “energy communities” is increasingly central to public and academic debate. However, the current discourse on energy communities often mixes three different aspects in an unclear manner. The first aspect is the type of energy source: that is, fossil or renewable. The second aspect is the general configuration of energy production: centralised or distributed. The third aspect is the type of prosumers: individuals or communities. These three aspects are not directly related (they concern three different issues), although they may be compatible. This article critically considers these three aspects and the distinctive advantages of the second item in the three pairs: renewable sources; distributed energy production; communities as prosumers. The intention is not merely to provide an overview of the state of the art; it is also to suggest a critical reframing of the discourse. The overall aim is not solely to distinguish different aspects (and advantages); it is also to clarify the real scope and meaning of each of them. Since the three aspects considered (renewables, distributed generation, energy communities) are distinct and conceptually independent from each other, various possible arrangements (i.e., combinations) can be imagined. The article critically considers these various possible combinations and discusses precautions and caveats in terms of policies that should be taken into account in this regard.
期刊介绍:
Energy Research & Social Science (ERSS) is a peer-reviewed international journal that publishes original research and review articles examining the relationship between energy systems and society. ERSS covers a range of topics revolving around the intersection of energy technologies, fuels, and resources on one side and social processes and influences - including communities of energy users, people affected by energy production, social institutions, customs, traditions, behaviors, and policies - on the other. Put another way, ERSS investigates the social system surrounding energy technology and hardware. ERSS is relevant for energy practitioners, researchers interested in the social aspects of energy production or use, and policymakers.
Energy Research & Social Science (ERSS) provides an interdisciplinary forum to discuss how social and technical issues related to energy production and consumption interact. Energy production, distribution, and consumption all have both technical and human components, and the latter involves the human causes and consequences of energy-related activities and processes as well as social structures that shape how people interact with energy systems. Energy analysis, therefore, needs to look beyond the dimensions of technology and economics to include these social and human elements.