From Case Studies to Practice: A Strategic Framework for Renewable Energy Community Engagement

This paper presents an engagement methodology rooted in Strategic and Systemic Design and participatory design processes, aiming to foster inclusive community engagement and empower stakeholders to collaboratively navigate the complexities of the energy transition. Developed within the Interreg project HERCULES-CE, a transnational initiative designed to facilitate the establishment and enhancement of Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) across participating countries, this methodology seeks to define a structured yet adaptable framework for community engagement. The proposed methodology follows a 5W+1H framework, designed to determine which stakeholders should be involved in engagement activities (Who), at what stage of the co-creative process they should participate (When), for what purpose (Why), and through which approaches (How). These elements are further enriched by a deep understanding of the socio-cultural context (Where), ultimately shaping a comprehensive and context-specific engagement strategy, where each of these elements serves as a crucial “dowel” that ensures tailored solutions (What) to the unique socio-cultural, economic, and institutional contexts of different communities. Starting from these questions, a systematic analysis of case studies related to community-led energy initiatives was conducted. This analysis, driven by the balance between top-down and bottom-up approaches as a main criterion, led to the identification of six characterizing elements of community engagement. For each of these elements, the article proposes findings and insights useful to support practitioners in identifying the right engagement approaches starting from the specific contextual needs of each renewable energy initiative.