Renewable Energy communities (REC) are being recognized by the recent regulatory frameworks as entities contributing significantly to decarbonization of the built environment, through the adoption of renewable energy technologies and policies, which imply an inclusive participation of communities in new technological cultures and energy systems. The aim of this contribution is to illustrate how a Living Lab (LL) process can trigger the design and activation of a REC in the municipality of Bova (Inner Area “Grecanica” of Reggio Calabria), within the LL activities already started for the NRRP Tech4You Pilot Project 4.7.1, whose purpose is the management of information on the issues of structural and environmental “safety” of cultural and natural heritage of two pilot cases in this territorial context, through a “physical and digital” user-profiling platform. In the framework of RECs, LLs serve as real-life demonstrators, where community members actively can participate in the co-design and development of Renewable Energy Solutions (RES), to generate co-benefits (environmental, social, and economic). This process is based on co-design and action-research methodologies, commonly used in the field of “Just Transition”, in order to engage citizens and researchers on environmental goals, through open knowledge and energy “prosuming” processes and technology innovations. It concerns the mapping of the operational phase of the LL for REC: the activities will be defined inside the programme of the “Ecophigital” Tech4You LL, wherein, at this stage, the process will start by engaging the institutions and local community in recognizing needs and available resources through participatory laboratories, surveys, and knowledge transfer events. In addition to this step, the studies of climate factors and the preliminary evaluation of photovoltaic electricity production in Bova by level of integration and type of technology used have been processed through GIS and Regenerative Digital Design tools (radiation, sunlight analysis, and studies) to direct RES performances on the 3 climate scenarios (2030, 2050, 2085). This activity is preparatory to next steps of the research: a) the activation of the LL facilities in Bova, as a physical space, where the Energy Community can be developed with the stakeholders and with the possibility of experimenting, transferring, and sharing both the procedural and technological aspects on site; b) the mapping of buildings and spaces eligible for the installation of technologies that are more suited to such processes, currently available in terms of energy assets (solar and PV panels, batteries), measuring components, energy management systems and platforms, and toolboxes (emerging technologies). In conclusion, this pilot experimentation aims to demonstrate how the integration of RECs through a Living Lab process, as for the NRRP Tech4You research, can become an exportable model of transformative impact for sustainable development, by combining co-design methodologies, action-research, and digital tools. The phased approach, from data construction to mapping operational phases, establishes a comprehensive foundation for REC activation, reinforcing the commitment to achieving “net zero” by 2050 through inclusive and innovative energy solutions.

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Which Living Lab Processes for the Renewable Energy Communities? A Pilot Experimentation in NRRP-T4Y Research

  • Giuseppe Mangano

摘要

Renewable Energy communities (REC) are being recognized by the recent regulatory frameworks as entities contributing significantly to decarbonization of the built environment, through the adoption of renewable energy technologies and policies, which imply an inclusive participation of communities in new technological cultures and energy systems. The aim of this contribution is to illustrate how a Living Lab (LL) process can trigger the design and activation of a REC in the municipality of Bova (Inner Area “Grecanica” of Reggio Calabria), within the LL activities already started for the NRRP Tech4You Pilot Project 4.7.1, whose purpose is the management of information on the issues of structural and environmental “safety” of cultural and natural heritage of two pilot cases in this territorial context, through a “physical and digital” user-profiling platform. In the framework of RECs, LLs serve as real-life demonstrators, where community members actively can participate in the co-design and development of Renewable Energy Solutions (RES), to generate co-benefits (environmental, social, and economic). This process is based on co-design and action-research methodologies, commonly used in the field of “Just Transition”, in order to engage citizens and researchers on environmental goals, through open knowledge and energy “prosuming” processes and technology innovations. It concerns the mapping of the operational phase of the LL for REC: the activities will be defined inside the programme of the “Ecophigital” Tech4You LL, wherein, at this stage, the process will start by engaging the institutions and local community in recognizing needs and available resources through participatory laboratories, surveys, and knowledge transfer events. In addition to this step, the studies of climate factors and the preliminary evaluation of photovoltaic electricity production in Bova by level of integration and type of technology used have been processed through GIS and Regenerative Digital Design tools (radiation, sunlight analysis, and studies) to direct RES performances on the 3 climate scenarios (2030, 2050, 2085). This activity is preparatory to next steps of the research: a) the activation of the LL facilities in Bova, as a physical space, where the Energy Community can be developed with the stakeholders and with the possibility of experimenting, transferring, and sharing both the procedural and technological aspects on site; b) the mapping of buildings and spaces eligible for the installation of technologies that are more suited to such processes, currently available in terms of energy assets (solar and PV panels, batteries), measuring components, energy management systems and platforms, and toolboxes (emerging technologies). In conclusion, this pilot experimentation aims to demonstrate how the integration of RECs through a Living Lab process, as for the NRRP Tech4You research, can become an exportable model of transformative impact for sustainable development, by combining co-design methodologies, action-research, and digital tools. The phased approach, from data construction to mapping operational phases, establishes a comprehensive foundation for REC activation, reinforcing the commitment to achieving “net zero” by 2050 through inclusive and innovative energy solutions.