Can energy communities reduce energy poverty? A georeferenced framework proposal to support decision-makers

Abstract

Energy communities (ECs) are increasingly promoted as a tool for decarbonisation, local participation, and social inclusion. Meanwhile, the EU Renewable Energy Directive requires ECs to provide support in reducing energy poverty by lowering grid consumption and electricity supply tariffs. Yet, their potential to mitigate energy poverty remains insufficiently operationalised in spatially explicit decision-support frameworks. This paper develops a conceptual georeferenced framework informed by a focused literature review on energy poverty, energy communities, urban building energy modelling and multi-objective optimization, to prioritise the deployment of inclusive solar energy communities in urban areas, according to household vulnerability to energy poverty. The proposed framework integrates spatial data, vulnerability indicators, building energy performance, renewable generation potential, and policy-relevant prioritisation criteria, using a multi-criteria decision analysis approach, to help local authorities identify where ECs are most likely to deliver both energy and social benefits. This conceptual framework classifies intervention areas into different priority levels to support decision-makers on where to focus inclusive solar ECs implementation efforts, providing additional economic, social and environmental outputs, such as estimated EC investment and payback times, CO₂ emission reduction or the burden reduction of the energy bills in the overall households’ income. Main limitations refer to irregular data availability and the lack of validation close to vulnerable populations, and policy and governance structures. Nevertheless, the framework can help local authorities identify where solar EC deployment may generate the strongest energy poverty mitigation and clarify what data is needed to support its implementation.