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Local electricity exchange is often praised for its ability to empower consumers and benefit communities. In this paper, we investigate and compare the development of local electricity exchange practices in three European countries: France, Switzerland, and Great Britain. We ask: how do local electricity exchange practices and markets vary across national contexts? What are their dynamics of ownership and consolidation, if any? What areas of contestation or disagreement emerge? To answer these questions, we first briefly define and conceptualize local electricity exchange and its categories before explicating our mixed methods research design consisting of document analysis, 40 original expert interviews across the three countries, and observational data derived from seven meetings and events. These comparative cases reveal the complexity and variation of the local electricity exchange phenomenon across our three national contexts, how such acts of decentralization in turn (and perhaps unpredictably) consolidate power among incumbent actors, and how local electricity exchanges are prone to significant contestation and disagreement. Moreover, they reveal competing dynamics of centralization and shifting forms of ownership. We conclude by noting that (i) local electricity exchange has as much potential to cement conventional actors and power relations in the sector as it does to support new actors or transform power relations; (ii) approaches to local electricity exchange vary considerably across national contexts and are strongly linked with institutional frameworks and policy regimes; and (iii) the future merits of local electricity exchange are prone to great uncertainty and contestation.

SONNET aims to co-create a rich inter- and transdisciplinary understanding of the diversity,processes (including enabling and impeding factors) and contributions of SIE (social innovation in the energy sector). In WP3, we make use of a multiple, embedded case study approach, using diverse units of analysis to build a better understanding of SIE-fields and the SIE-initiatives within them. The main unit of analysis is the SIE-field, while the subunits of analysis are the SIE, different SIE-field-actors (who work on the SIE) and their SIE-initiatives, and other field-actors (who enable and impede the SIE). The analysis also considers the context of wider socio-political, socio-economic and sociocultural issues linked to these actors and the SIE-field. The case studies are presented as a series of six country reports: France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, and United Kingdom. Each country report presents three embedded case studies of SIE-fields within their national context. Overall, the country reports present 18 embedded case studies of SIE-fields, and 36 cases of SIE-initiatives nested within the SIE-field investigations and published in deliverable D3.2 This deliverable D3.3 has two overall aims. First, to dive into a comparative analysis of each SIE-field and their SIE-initiatives across three SONNET countries (for example, comparing framings against fossil fuel energy pathways in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Poland). This analysis draws on empirical phenomena surfacing in the different cases and specific concepts that help to further the understanding of SIE. Second, to derive key insights into specific aspects of the diversity, processes and contributions of SIE.

Bristol City Council focuses on the questions: How can crowdfunding as an investment activity be made use of to collectively raise the capital to install energy efficiency measures within community buildings within an urban area? Community centres have always been hubs for communities in the UK. Cuts from local authorities mean that many services once coordinated by the council are now being taken on by the local community. Community occupied buildings are often the last to receive the necessary energy efficiency adaptations and this is nearly always down to a lack of finance. The energy efficiency of these buildings is key to the level of comfort. Moreover, if energy bills can be reduced, there is ultimately more revenue available for the community to undertake their core activities. Crowdfunding not only has the benefit of being able to raise capital in a collective way, but it also is a method that attracts attention by its very nature and requires the residents of Bristol to come together to raise the funds required.

There is a growing interest in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in developing countries in the literature. This paper focuses on CSR in Malaysia?s Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). The objective is to explore the multiple logics that drive the practices of CSR. This involves in-depth recorded interviews with owner-managers of SMEs in the construction and food & beverages (F&B) sectors. The results show that CSR policy intervention for SMEs are underdeveloped. However, owner-managers CSR behaviour is shown to be influenced by cultural norms, including karma. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implication to theory and practice.

This document (ENERGISE D2.5) provides an overview of national energy and supply dynamics across 30 European countries. The Deliverable encompasses reviews of the current state of the art and existing trends in national energy policies, energy systems and energy campaigns in each of the 30 countries. To enhance accessibility and engagement with the material, the information gathered is presented in 30 independent National Briefs. This format also permits follow on cross country comparison. For example, an analysis of the data presented in this comprehensive document reveals large variations across Europe in relation to final energy consumption for households (MWh/capita), shares of fuel in final residential energy consumption and residential final energy consumption by type of end-use. However, there are also interesting similarities across the continent, i.e. in energy consumption patterns for space heating. This collection of national briefs is an extremely useful resource for researchers and policy makers alike. In addition to providing an overview of the quantitative data per country, this collection delves deeper and provides relevant context and discussion which can assist when exploring how these variations and similarities occur. Specifically, the briefs provide contextual overviews of particular socio-material aspects at play in each country that may influence energy consumption levels, as well as insights into national (and in some cases regional) energy policies, including how energy consumption is understood and targeted. Finally building on from work conducted as part of Deliverables 2.1 and 2.4, this collection includes 30 case study examples, overviewing one sustainable energy consumption initiative (SECI) from each country. These in-depth examples were selected as they have been identified as cases which highlight understanding energy consumption as an outcome of everyday life dynamics and complex interactions between multiple actors, institutions and infrastructural aspects. These SECIs will provide good practice examples for those interested in firstly understanding socio-material aspects of energy consumption and subsequently incorporating these aspects into future targets and strategies.

This document (D2.1) provides an overview of the extensive data that has been collected on sustainable energy consumption initiatives as part of Work Package 2 (WP2) in ENERGISE. First a general introduction is given to the scope and objectives of WP2 specifically, as well as a short introduction as to how sustainable energy consumption initiatives are defined in ENERGISE. Subsequently, a full list is provided of 1000+ sustainable energy consumption initiatives that have been identified throughout Europe.

This guidebook is intended to inspire city representatives, local authorities, citizens and NGOs, local entrepreneurs and academics interested in new ways of engaging in urban sustainable transitions. Its practice based and accessible format should prepare city representatives to set up and conduct their own City Labs, even if they have no previous experience with this form of governance innovation.

This report addresses the following research questions: How do Social Innovation in energy (SIE) and SIE-fieldsemerge, develop, and institutionalise over time? How do SIE-field-actors and other field-actors interact with the‘outside’ institutional environment and thereby co-shape the SIE-field over time? What are the enabling and impeding factors for SIE-field-actors and other field-actors to conduct institutional work and change the ‘outside’ institutional environment? In WP3, we make use of a multiple, embedded case study approach, building a better understanding of SIE-fields (e.g. ‘local electricity exchange’ and ‘cooperative organisational models for renewable energy’) using diverse units of analysis. The main unit of analysis is the SIE-field, whereas the subunits of analysis are made up of the SIE (e.g. multi-actor collectives implementing local electricity exchange), different SIE-field-actors (who work on) and their SIE-initiatives (e.g. Energy Local or Ripple Energy, UK) and other field-actors (who enable and impede SIE) (e.g. Ofgem’s sandbox trials, UK). They are embedded in their respective context, which relates to wider socio-political, social-economic and sociocultural issues linked to these actors and SIE-field. The case studies are presented as a series of six country reports: France, Germany, Netherlands/Belgium, Poland, Switzerland, and United Kingdom. Each country report contains documentation of three embedded case studies of SIE-fields set in their national context, giving a full set of 18 embedded case studies across all six SONNET countries. In these embedded case studies, 36 cases of SIE-initiatives are nested within the SIE-field investigations.

SONNET (Social Innovation in Energy Transitions) aims to co-create a rich understanding of the diversity, processes, contributions, successes and future potentials of social innovation in the energy sector (SIE). This deliverable addresses SONNET’s objective 2, namely, to identify and analyse socio-political enabling and impeding factors for SIE processes, as well as SONNET's objective 5 – the design of socio-political strategies for encouraging SIE. It provides the conceptual framework and the methodological approach for policy networks as well as the qualitative and quantitative analysis of policy networks in six SONNET cities. In SONNET's task T2.2 we aim to identify for each of our six SONNET cities the policy network in which SIE-initiatives are embedded. A policy network analysis is conducted with a particular focus on the relations between key actors at the local, regional, national and EU level (e.g. policymakers, city administrations, energy utilities, businesses and network organisations), and to identify enabling and impeding structures for SIE-initiatives.