Who cooperates, and how? Value-profile-based governance schemes for energy cooperation in industrial and commercial areas

The decarbonization of industrial and commercial areas requires collaborative energy solutions beyond the level of individual firms. While the techno-economic feasibility of energy cooperation is evident, implementation remains limited due to a lack of coordination and organization structures. This study addresses this gap by developing a comprehensive framework for governance schemes that enable coordinated energy cooperation among companies. Methodologically, the study combines a systematic literature review with qualitative context analysis to integrate interdisciplinary insights from energy economics and sociology. Our findings provide two main contributions. First, a two-level governance architecture is identified as essential. The interplay of a general, interaction-oriented level and a transaction-oriented, energy-specific level, enables effective energy cooperation. Second, value logics, operationalized through risk appetite and sense of community, are shown to be critical determinants for cooperation design. Based on these dimensions, three distinct value profiles are derived and systematically linked to three cooperation models. We propose local energy markets for innovative individualists, energy cooperatives for progressive collectivists, and contracting models for conservative collectivists. Additionally, cross-cutting add-on models, including community self-consumption, power purchase agreements, and aggregator models, are found to shape economic value creation across all cooperation types. Overall, the study provides valuable guidance for municipalities and firms to design context-specific governance schemes and to overcome major coordination barriers, thereby advancing the implementation of energy cooperation in industrial and commercial areas.