Perceptions of participation and the role of gender for the engagement in solar energy communities in Sweden
(2021) In Energy, Sustainability and Society 11(1).- Abstract
Energy communities are emphasized by the EU as important for developing sustainable energy systems that include and engage many people. While many renewables are highly compatible with a more decentralized energy system, research indicates that participation in 'desirable' energy activities and energy decision-making is influenced by social and economic factors, including gender, economic status and home ownership. The overall aim of this article is to contribute to this line of inquiry by exploring how and under which conditions energy communities allow for broader participation in the energy system. This article examines how gender, as a more specific condition, influences the extent to which parties can or cannot engage with... (More)
Energy communities are emphasized by the EU as important for developing sustainable energy systems that include and engage many people. While many renewables are highly compatible with a more decentralized energy system, research indicates that participation in 'desirable' energy activities and energy decision-making is influenced by social and economic factors, including gender, economic status and home ownership. The overall aim of this article is to contribute to this line of inquiry by exploring how and under which conditions energy communities allow for broader participation in the energy system. This article examines how gender, as a more specific condition, influences the extent to which parties can or cannot engage with collective solar ownership models by means of a qualitative study of 11 solar energy communities and one housing association in Sweden.
Results: The study revealed that despite the relative potential for inclusion that they hold, energy communities can raise justice concerns in terms of inequities concerning access, capacity, and opportunity to engage in decision-making.
Conclusions: While solely focusing on gender offers a limited view of the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in renewable energy projects, it is our position that integrating it into the analysis will provide insights into possible measures to remedy limitations and accelerate the renewable energy transition.
(Less)
- author
- Lazoroska, Daniela LU ; Palm, Jenny LU and Bergek, Anna
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021-10-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- energy community, PV adoption, gender, energy justice, energy community, gender, citizen engagement, citizen partcipation, energy justice, solar energy, Energy cooperatives, sweden
- in
- Energy, Sustainability and Society
- volume
- 11
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 35
- publisher
- Springer
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:34660168
- scopus:85117264584
- ISSN
- 2192-0567
- DOI
- 10.1186/s13705-021-00312-6
- project
- Community solar: participation, organisation, and regulation
- NEWCOMERS (New Clean Energy Communities in a Changing European Energy System)
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- © The Author(s) 2021.
- id
- 63dde338-6389-4319-acfa-880bfddff01b
- date added to LUP
- 2021-10-23 18:31:02
- date last changed
- 2024-06-15 18:51:59
@article{63dde338-6389-4319-acfa-880bfddff01b,
abstract = {{<p>Energy communities are emphasized by the EU as important for developing sustainable energy systems that include and engage many people. While many renewables are highly compatible with a more decentralized energy system, research indicates that participation in 'desirable' energy activities and energy decision-making is influenced by social and economic factors, including gender, economic status and home ownership. The overall aim of this article is to contribute to this line of inquiry by exploring how and under which conditions energy communities allow for broader participation in the energy system. This article examines how gender, as a more specific condition, influences the extent to which parties can or cannot engage with collective solar ownership models by means of a qualitative study of 11 solar energy communities and one housing association in Sweden.</p><p>Results: The study revealed that despite the relative potential for inclusion that they hold, energy communities can raise justice concerns in terms of inequities concerning access, capacity, and opportunity to engage in decision-making.</p><p>Conclusions: While solely focusing on gender offers a limited view of the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in renewable energy projects, it is our position that integrating it into the analysis will provide insights into possible measures to remedy limitations and accelerate the renewable energy transition.</p>}},
author = {{Lazoroska, Daniela and Palm, Jenny and Bergek, Anna}},
issn = {{2192-0567}},
keywords = {{energy community; PV adoption; gender; energy justice; energy community; gender; citizen engagement; citizen partcipation; energy justice; solar energy; Energy cooperatives; sweden}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{10}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{Springer}},
series = {{Energy, Sustainability and Society}},
title = {{Perceptions of participation and the role of gender for the engagement in solar energy communities in Sweden}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/108749962/Lazoroska_et_al_2021_Energy_Sustainability_and_Society.pdf}},
doi = {{10.1186/s13705-021-00312-6}},
volume = {{11}},
year = {{2021}},
}