Renewable Energy Communities and Citizen Participation in Technological and Social Innovations

Citizen engagement represents a crucial concern in innovation processes. Reaching high commitment and active levels for participatory actions is still challenging. This research seeks to illustrate the crucial role citizens have played in fostering both technological and social innovations within the low-carbon energy sector, particularly in the photovoltaic sector by analyzing the levels of participation defined by Arnstein’s classification. To achieve this objective, this work examines real-world experiences that exemplify effective citizen engagement in innovation processes. Firstly, a comprehensive overview of the role citizens played in deploying technical innovations in the energy sector is described. It illustrates how these innovations have been enhanced through collaboration with citizens or have emerged directly from their involvement, combining original material with a thorough bibliographic review. Additionally, the paper delves into the levels of engagement observed in Energy Communities (ECs), one of the most significant social innovations. By exploring and analyzing 34 ECs, it becomes evident that the transition from passive to active citizen-led innovations remains a challenge. However, some inspirational examples are shown. By positioning citizens as vital agents of change, this exploration underscores their importance in the transition to sustainable energy systems and aims to inspire others to follow the described cases.