Solar Energy Communities in the Urban Environment

This chapter appeared in The Palgrave Encyclopedia for Urban and Regional Futures (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022).

Abstract

Decarbonizing energy consumption in urban environments is key to mitigating climate change and reducing local air pollution. Over two-thirds of global primary energy consumption and an even greater share of energy-related CO₂ emissions are derived from energy use in cities. Increasing the adoption of solar photovoltaics is a promising route to decarbonizing urban energy systems. Still, competing uses in already limited available space pose a barrier to PV diffusion in urban centers. Solar energy communities in urban environments (SECUE) can help overcome this challenge. This chapter presents a taxonomy of PV installations based on who owns them and uses their electricity, making it easier to identify SECUEs and map their economic, environmental and social benefits. After a brief overview of existing classifications of renewable energy communities, the chapter introduces the new taxonomy, reviews examples of SECUEs, and discusses their opportunities and challenges. The new taxonomy helps researchers investigating renewable energy communities and has implications for practitioners and policymakers.