Collective Energy Practices: A Practice-Based Approach to Civic Energy Communities and the Energy System
Civic energy communities (CECs) have emerged throughout Europe in recent years, developing a range of activities to promote, generate, and manage renewable energy within the community. Building on theories of Social Practice, we develop the notion of Collective Energy Practice to account for the act...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2019-06-01
|
| Series: | Sustainability |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/11/3230 |
| id |
doaj-792d615fdefe4a0fb85ccee0cc53754f |
|---|---|
| record_format |
Article |
| spelling |
doaj-792d615fdefe4a0fb85ccee0cc53754f2020-11-25T01:59:00ZengMDPI AGSustainability2071-10502019-06-011111323010.3390/su11113230su11113230Collective Energy Practices: A Practice-Based Approach to Civic Energy Communities and the Energy SystemNick Verkade0Johanna Höffken1School of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, Eindhoven University of Technology, Room ATL 8.406, P O Box 513, 1600 MB Eindhoven, The NetherlandsSchool of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, Eindhoven University of Technology, Room ATL 8.406, P O Box 513, 1600 MB Eindhoven, The NetherlandsCivic energy communities (CECs) have emerged throughout Europe in recent years, developing a range of activities to promote, generate, and manage renewable energy within the community. Building on theories of Social Practice, we develop the notion of Collective Energy Practice to account for the activity of CECs. This expands the practice-based understanding of energy, which thus far has mostly focused on energy practices of the home. Additionally, we build on earlier practice-based thinking to come to our understanding of a ‘system of energy practices’. This view places the collective energy practices of CECs in a broader mesh of sites of practice, including policymaking, commercial activity, and grid management. Taking account of the enabling and/or restricting the influence of this broad system of energy practices is crucial in understanding the development of CECs’ practices. We accomplish this through the qualitative analysis of our long-term empirical research of five Dutch CEC sites, but also draw on our earlier fieldwork on smart grid projects in the Netherlands.https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/11/3230civic energy communitiescommunity energylocal energy initiativesgrassroots innovationenergy transitionsocial practice theoryenergy practices |
| collection |
DOAJ |
| language |
English |
| format |
Article |
| sources |
DOAJ |
| author |
Nick Verkade Johanna Höffken |
| spellingShingle |
Nick Verkade Johanna Höffken Collective Energy Practices: A Practice-Based Approach to Civic Energy Communities and the Energy System Sustainability civic energy communities community energy local energy initiatives grassroots innovation energy transition social practice theory energy practices |
| author_facet |
Nick Verkade Johanna Höffken |
| author_sort |
Nick Verkade |
| title |
Collective Energy Practices: A Practice-Based Approach to Civic Energy Communities and the Energy System |
| title_short |
Collective Energy Practices: A Practice-Based Approach to Civic Energy Communities and the Energy System |
| title_full |
Collective Energy Practices: A Practice-Based Approach to Civic Energy Communities and the Energy System |
| title_fullStr |
Collective Energy Practices: A Practice-Based Approach to Civic Energy Communities and the Energy System |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Collective Energy Practices: A Practice-Based Approach to Civic Energy Communities and the Energy System |
| title_sort |
collective energy practices: a practice-based approach to civic energy communities and the energy system |
| publisher |
MDPI AG |
| series |
Sustainability |
| issn |
2071-1050 |
| publishDate |
2019-06-01 |
| description |
Civic energy communities (CECs) have emerged throughout Europe in recent years, developing a range of activities to promote, generate, and manage renewable energy within the community. Building on theories of Social Practice, we develop the notion of Collective Energy Practice to account for the activity of CECs. This expands the practice-based understanding of energy, which thus far has mostly focused on energy practices of the home. Additionally, we build on earlier practice-based thinking to come to our understanding of a ‘system of energy practices’. This view places the collective energy practices of CECs in a broader mesh of sites of practice, including policymaking, commercial activity, and grid management. Taking account of the enabling and/or restricting the influence of this broad system of energy practices is crucial in understanding the development of CECs’ practices. We accomplish this through the qualitative analysis of our long-term empirical research of five Dutch CEC sites, but also draw on our earlier fieldwork on smart grid projects in the Netherlands. |
| topic |
civic energy communities community energy local energy initiatives grassroots innovation energy transition social practice theory energy practices |
| url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/11/3230 |
| work_keys_str_mv |
AT nickverkade collectiveenergypracticesapracticebasedapproachtocivicenergycommunitiesandtheenergysystem AT johannahoffken collectiveenergypracticesapracticebasedapproachtocivicenergycommunitiesandtheenergysystem |
| _version_ |
1724966539905466368 |