Energy Communities and Urban Sociotechnical Transformations

Abstracts

Communities of care: Non-trivial opposition against zero emission neighbourhood solutions

by Thomas Berker, NTNU, with Ruth Woods and Hanne Marit Henriksen, NTNU

In four of the eight pilot areas of the Norwegian Research Centre on Zero Emission Neighbourhoods in Smart Cities (ZEN, see fmezen.no), local  stakeholders have intervened to delay or even stop the implementation of zero emission solutions. In this paper we analyse these processes as non-trivial opposition, i.e., not as being driven by NIMBYism, climate change denial or lack of understanding. Instead, we distinguish between four sources of resistance, which point to more fundamental problems with the specific, technoscience driven approach to zero-emission planning represented by the ZEN centre: Local stakeholders prioritise competing professional ideals (encountered at Steinkjer/Lø), they prefer non-urban images of the good life (Elverum), they have conflicting planning priorities (ZVB), and they have a focus on local problems (Furuset). We argue that these sources feeding collective resistance have in common that they are rooted in concerns for specific relations of care that local stakeholders see threatened by efforts to reorganise socio-technical relations in zero-emission neighbourhood development. We conclude the paper by exploring opportunities for introducing 'care' as topic to techno-scientific approaches.) 

Innovation pathways of local energy communities for novel renewable energy infrastructures and -markets

by Florian Helfrich, University of Twente

In the ongoing transformation of the energy sector towards energy infrastructures that are characterised by higher degrees of sustainability, decentralisation and citizen engagement, new technologies are imagined to enable a revolutionary re-structuring and transforming of the, traditionally centralised, ways in which energy is produced, distributed, and managed. However, this promised potential for sustainability and decentralisation with multidirectional relationships and their construction must be critically assessed.

This paper investigates the governance of socio-technical transformations, examining changing power relations in the context of novel local renewable energy infrastructures. It will analyse how the technical construction and implementation of such infrastructures develops with relation to the network of stakeholders in the energy sector. Based on a set of empirical cases of pilot projects and local energy communities (Netherlands, Spain, Australia), this paper provides a typology of innovation pathways, analysing a range of governance arrangements and imagined futures for local energy communities. Different innovation pathways, against various (shifting) backgrounds (grassroots, business, municipal-administrative) are derived and contrasted: Municipality-Managed; Cohesive Communities; Privatised Platforms and Entrepreneurial Exploration.

Understanding local communities as sites of experimentation in which the ongoing transformation of the energy sector plays out, this paper assesses forms of governance such as arrangements of power, relationships between actors, emergence of conflicts and cooperation. Critically examining the implementation of blockchain-based energy infrastructures within them and their imagined disruptive potential, hereby serves as an illustrative example towards examining these changes in power relations, forms of agency and interactions within the network of energy sector stakeholders in this context.

The role of technology when attracting potential homeowners to a zero emission neighborhood

by Hanne Marit Henriksen, NTNU

The research center on Zero Emission Neighborhood in Smart Cities (FME ZEN) aims to enable the transition to a low-carbon society by developing sustainable neighborhoods with zero greenhouse gas emissions. Through 9 pilot projects in Norway, new solutions are being implemented and tested. While the research center has a highly technological focus, some of the pilot areas pay little attention to technology in the textual and visual representations that aim to attract potential homeowners. In this paper, I investigate the process of producing these representations. By zooming in on one of the most mature of the pilots, the Ydalir project, I follow how key pilot actors have worked to adapt the ZEN concept to local values and practices. The analysis indicates that sharing and caring, rather than technology, seem to be more tangible entry points for providing the Ydalir ZEN  with identity, meaning, and suggestions for use. As a result, technology has gone from being an enabler of the neighborhood to a bonus. Also, the roles ascribed to the residents have changed from passive receivers of technical energy-saving solutions to responsible participants in sustainable activities.

Series of configurational movements: User activities in technology generalization

by Sampsa Hyysalo, Aalto University; with Jouni K Juntunen

The detailed studies of adoption and user activities indicate that continuous changes accompany the proliferation of new technology, yet diffusion theory and system change-oriented frameworks portray the spread of technologies across a social or sociotechnical system with relatively far fewer alterations. To better reconcile the two orientations, we introduce the series of configurational movements (SCM) as a conceptual register for the generalization of new technology in society. We elaborate on SCM with an over-a-decade-long investigation into the generalization of heat pumps in Finland through nine configurational movements. Each features a change in the character of the technology, the ecology of actors relevant to it, and the contexts in which the technology spreads. SCM analysis further surfaces eight user activity types that have shaped how the technology, its deployment, and its markets have evolved. In all, generalization features significant shifts to user practices, technology and societal impact throughout the process, not only during its early phases

Swedish urban energy communities – new and emergent actor constellations

by Dick Magnusson, Linköping University; Anna-Riikka Kojonsaari, Lund University; Jenny Palm, Lund University

In recent years various forms of urban development projects in Sweden have had an increasing focus on different aspects of sustainability. In the projects, new actor constellations have emerged, with a combination of municipal, and private actors, attempting to aim at various kinds of community energy projects. There might be in development of microgrids, in positive energy districts, or mainly higher ambitions of ecological sustainability. The organization of the energy communities also differ where some are more top-down projects with little involvement of citizens in the early planning stages, and some projects have high ambitions of community involvement from the start.
 
The focus of this paper is to analyze the different actor constellations and the institutional, technical, and social drivers and barriers they experience when trying to develop an energy community. The aim is to relate the actor constellations to the different theoretical concepts that are tightly connected to these energy communities in recent academic literature, especially around community energy, urban transformative capacity, energy democracy and energy citizenship, as way to open up discussions of the roles of, on the one hand citizens, and on the other hand public actors, and how the relationship is shaped and re-shaped in these processes. We will use examples from case studies in Lund, Malmö, and Linköping.

Path-dependent or path-creation energy infrastructure planning for positive energy city-districts: The planned city-district of Dietenbach in Freiburg, Germany

by Arian Mahzouni, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Harald Schaich, City of Freiburg; Maja Van Der Velden, University of Oslo

The City of Freiburg has revised its plan to become carbon-neutral by 2038. Consequently, Freiburg should have set a more ambitious climate objective rather than ‘climate-neutral’ for the planned city-district in Dietenbach greenfield area in West Freiburg. In line with the programme by the European Union to create 100 Positive Energy Districts and Neighbourhoods (PEDs) in Europe by 2025, this study will discuss the challenges and opportunities to integrating new energy system configurations into the existing urban infrastructure networks by analysing the planning practices and business norms for energy supply and demand in Dietenbach. The key research question is how the existing institutional structure, planning policy framework, material infrastructures and user practices are co-evolved to enable the notion of PEDs in Dietenbach, as a path-creation strategy to achieve urban climate change objectives. To address this question, this study will combine insights from the literature on ‘Sociotechnical Transitions’ as subfield of Science and Technology Studies (cf. Rip and Kemp 1998; Geels 2007, 2018; Weber and Rohracher 2012; Späth and Rohracher 2015), ‘Integrated Urban Infrastructure’ (cf. Hodson et al. 2012; Iveroth et al. 2013; Lawhon et al. 2018; Cass et al. 2018; Monstadt and Coutard 2019); and ‘Duality of structure’ (cf. Giddens 1981, 1984; Pierson 2000; Sewell 2005; Garud et. al 2007). As part of the analytical framework, it will study the co-evolution between different institutional elements (regulative, normative and cultural-cognitive) and technological artefacts to enable individuals, organisations and government bodies to achieve a positive energy (or a carbon neutral) city-district in Dietenbach.

Think before you upscale: experiences with ‘moments of reflection’ in ongoing positive energy district developments in Europe

by Michael Ornetzeder and Livia Regen, Austrian Academy of Sciences

Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) are a highly ambitious socio-technical vision for advancing the energy transition in urban contexts. Given the political agenda to initiate 100 PEDs in the EU by 2025, recently a number of projects intending to realise PEDs have sprouted. Yet, the concept is still under research and development, and attempted implementations point to numerous questions and challenges. Consequently, large variation occurs regarding the definition of PEDs and realistic associated ambitions. Given this innovation and experimentation process, it is important to ensure that innovation in the context of PEDs is responsibly managed, especially at this early stage of development. Thus, possible unintended social and ecological side effects and associated risks need to be identified and dealt with before innovations in and for PEDs are upscaled. In the presentation, we introduce a method that can contribute to more responsible innovation through the introduction of second-order learning processes in ongoing PED developments. Building on the notion of ‘moments of reflection’, we devised and tested so-called ‘second-order learning conversations’ in the context of the TRANS-PED project. In these conversations, ‘insiders’, ‘outsiders’ and neutral moderators exchanged on challenges and alternative socio-technical solutions that had been previously identified in interviews. In the presentation, we shine a light on concrete second-order learnings from three different PEDs. Our experience with the method shows that ‘moments of reflection’ provide a relatively low-key entry point for the enhancement of responsibility in PED development processes.

The role of citizen and the local in solar energy communities – examples from Sweden

by Jenny Palm, Lund University; Anna Bergek, Chalmers University of Technology

In the needed transformation of the energy system, energy communities (ECs) have been put forward as an important part of a citizen-led energy transition. ECs are expected to contribute to citizen participation in decentralised energy systems and to create value for their members and the local society. In this presentation we will discuss how citizens are engaged in an EC, who is engaged and if it matters if an EC develops as a community of interest or a community of place (cf. Walker et al., 2022).

The basis for the presentation will be the results from a survey distributed to 3 solar ECs and interviews with representatives from 11 solar ECs in Sweden. Tentative results show that there is no evidence that ECs with non-local members would be less beneficial for the local community compared to ECs with only local members. In Sweden it has been common with ECs initiated by municipal utilities and according to our results there are no differences between such utility-driven communities and ECs initiated by citizens when it comes to goals, activities, business models etc. The survey also shows that community members value other local aspects than co-location with other members or the solar plant, such as the involvement of local companies in building and operating the plant.

References
Walker, C., Poelzer, G., Leonhardt, R., Noble, B., Hoicka, C., 2022. COPs and ‘robbers?’ Better understanding community energy and toward a Communities of Place then Interest approach. Energy Research & Social Science 92, 102797.) 

Re-thinking upscaling in urban contexts

by by Harald Rohracher, Linköping University, Department of Thematic Studies, Tema T - Technology and Social Change; with Dick Magnusson, Marcus Mohall

The concept of upscaling traces its origins to the world of industrial innovation and technology management, but is increasingly applied to broader and more heterogeneous socio-material arrangements such as sustainable or smart city districts or energy communities. Upscaling figures prominently in policy and programme documents which request that experiences and solutions gained in the development of sustainable neighbourhoods be upscaled, replicated and transferred to new urban developments. Governance through 'lighthouse' or model projects has become a preferred means to achieve transformative change towards climate-neutral or smart cities. Along with these policy ambitions, an extensive body of literature within the fields of sustainability transitions, STS, urban studies and innovation studies has emerged around questions of upscaling and learning.

Yet how different forms of upscaling are accomplished in practice is rarely well defined or systematically developed. Experiences and knowledge gained in urban developments appear to circulate in rather limited and often indirect and unplanned ways, much in contrast to ambitions of transferring knowledge and facilitate learning in an organized way. This paper explores conceptions and practices of upscaling through the lens of key actors (such as urban planners, intermediary organisations) involved in the development of experimental urban districts. Specifically, the paper draws on four case studies of “positive energy districts” in Sweden and Austria, and a sustainable model neighbourhood in the city of Linköping. The analysis shows how practices of knowledge transfer and learning are highly fragmented and from the outset limited by the ways sustainable urban districts are conceived of and implemented.) 

Community energy in question: Two energy transition visions in Norway and their implications

By Krisjanis Rudus, NTNU

In recent years, the EU has promoted CE as an important policy tool to reach carbon neutrality and empowering society. However, Norway has shown no ambition in promoting CE and focuses on decarbonizing the transportation and industry sectors. Considering the difference in transition approaches, this paper investigates what visions exist regarding CE development among relevant stakeholders in the Norwegian energy sector.
The results showcase that stakeholders are divided in their views about CE’s role in Norway’s future energy system. The incumbent actors in the energy sector saw Norway as remaining centralized in the future. These actors were generally skeptical about the potential of CE and underscored low public interest towards such policy tool. More emergent actors, including community initiative leaders, researchers and interest organizations, envisioned CE as part of the nation’s energy system in the upcoming decades largely due to their perception of the public as becoming growingly dissatisfied with energy transition politics in Norway, and interested in active engagement in the energy system. These actors also saw CE as an opportunity to address diverse concerns of the current energy system.
While the current policy direction aligns with the incumbent actor vision, CE may become institutionalized in the near future. If so, careful considerations of justice implications – from technical to social and economic – should be incorporated in the relevant policymaking. Bringing together diverse in the energy sector, as in this study, may provide an opportunity for more reflexive decision-making.) 

Individualistic and collectivistic values as factors influencing end-user participation in the energy community

by Sanna Tuomela, University of Vaasa, University of Oulu, Finland

Energy communities are a means to increase renewable energy generation and use, to include and empower citizens in energy transition and to open up new business and co-operation possibilities in the energy sector. An energy community ecosystem requires contribution and dedication of all energy community stakeholders. However, stakeholders of an energy community may have different kinds of value prioritizations when comes to energy community goals, size, responsible organization, mode of operation and the participants’ roles in the energy community. Not only between stakeholders, but also actors in a same stakeholder group may have conflicting values among them. In this study values of one stakeholder group, the potential participants of the energy community, are mapped, and especially individualism and collectivism as values and factors influencing participation in the energy community are investigated. Individualism and collectivism are both driving factors for the energy community participation, though they are partially conflicting. The individualistic and collectivistic values were elicited in 96 value-focused telephone interviews with energy end users interested in energy communities, and analyzed together with the survey data on energy communities from 617 electricity consumers and solar prosumers. These values and their implications to participation in energy communities are reflected in the context of European Commission Energy Communities Repository.

Urban sustainable transformations in Oslo’s suburbia

by Ruth Woods, Department of interdisciplinary studies, NTNU; with Thomas Berker and Hanne Marit Henriksen

Sustainability transitions should be shared journeys where everyone, regardless of social or economic background, is included and has access to the same opportunities and to bear the same burdens. This has proved to be difficult to achieve in practice. Where and how a person lives can affect everyday practices, opportunities to live a sustainable lifestyle and access to the benefits associated with the transitions. The Furuset neighbourhood is known as one of the most demographically challenged in Oslo. The multi-ethnic community is dealing with, amongst other things, high crime rates. At the same time the community is resourceful and socially engaged, with a dynamic approach to social sustainability. Furuset is one of eight pilot areas where The Research Centre for Zero Emission Neighbourhoods (ZEN) implements and tests its zero emission solutions. The main innovation tested in the area is a seasonal heat storage facility which will be connected to new, sustainable buildings. The paper, which is based on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with local residents, asks what this kind of ‘infrastructuring from above’, which bypasses local residents and their concerns completely, means for sustainability transitions taking place, and what kind of expectations residents have for the sustainability transformations that are taking place in the neighbourhood.

Organizers

Andrew Karvonen and Jenny Palm, Lund University; Thomas Berker, Norwegian University of Science and Technology; Dick Magnuson, and Harald Rohracher, Linköping University