Using social dimensions to inform the development of engagement tools for energy communities

The development of digital tools for energy communities is crucial as these can play a significant role increasing efficiency and leading to less grid congestion. However, these tools frequently suffer from a disconnect between technical design and end-user social contexts, leading to poor adoption and engagement. This study bridges this gap by providing a new empirically robust methodology for mapping and evaluating how social dimensions, derived from a scoping literature review and participatory engagement, can be applied to energy tool development. Through six deliberative workshops and two focus groups across three European pilot sites, we identified 19 key social dimensions, including trust, transparency, education, and social values, that influence community member motivation and behaviour. This forms the basis of a social dimensions framework which can be used to evaluate energy tools and improve their development and uptake. We then exemplify the application of the social dimensions framework to assess three distinct digital tools from the Enpower project: a nudging app, a planning tool, and a citizen renewable platform. The analysis maps specific application features against the social dimensions, revealing strengths and critical gaps in how each tool supports user motivations and collective goals. Our findings show that moving beyond standard usability evaluations to include a behaviourally informed, socially grounded assessment provides actionable insights for developers. This approach facilitates the translation of qualitative social research into concrete technical specifications, ultimately promoting the creation of more effective, engaging, and socially aligned digital tools that can better support the energy transition within communities.