However, the absence of effective technological, organizational, and legal frameworks has impeded the development of shared digital infrastructures crucial for such collaborations. This initiative from the ASI Research Innovation Programme, aims to remedy this through a digital-first organizing logic for sustainable communities.
This approach involves developing a comprehensive framework that delineates coordination mechanisms, incentives, governance structures, and legal aspects for the provision and usage of shared infrastructure. The aim is to offer sustainable energy communities guidelines for establishing a digital platform that facilitates both technical interactions, such as data sharing, and social interactions among community members. In addition, the project will explore how a supportive community environment can facilitate the transition towards sustainable solutions, such as local decentralized energy grids.
The anticipated impact of the initiative is significant, aiming to empower communities to surmount technical, organizational, and legal obstacles in building decentralized sustainable solutions. Key components of this impact include the formation of an interdisciplinary research team focused on renewable energy communities, fostering a common understanding across disciplines through student involvement, conducting a thorough literature review to identify interdisciplinary connections, and engaging with energy cooperatives to understand current approaches and challenges.
To ensure widespread dissemination of its findings, the initiative plans to disseminate its findings and progress through various channels, including outreach to stakeholders like energy cooperatives and grid operators, as well as presentations at events such as the DiSC meetup. Moreover, the project team aims to secure follow-up funding for future endeavors focusing on sustainable energy, with the ultimate goal of catalyzing positive change in energy systems and beyond.
Click here to view the project poster (presented at the ASI Innovation Meetup)