Harnessing citizen investment in community-based energy initiatives

Harnessing citizen investment in community-based energy initiatives

COOPERATIVES CROWDFUNDING ENERGY - 04 May 2022

In this paper, Trinity College Dublin examines citizens' willingness to invest in energy projects through energy cooperatives and energy crowdfunding platforms.

SocialRES partner Trinity College Dublin just published a paper based on the research made in the framework of the project.

In recent years, energy initiatives (such as energy cooperatives) have been expanding across European countries to meet the increasing demand for innovative solutions to renewable energy generation and distribution. However, research exploring citizens’ acceptance of these new business models remains scarce, especially from the perspective of citizen investors. Trinity College Dublin results provide evidence that citizens are willing to invest in renewable energy through energy cooperatives or crowdfunders. Investment returns and environmental benefits are important factors considered in making investment decisions, demonstrating both the financial and non-financial motivations of citizen renewable investors.

 

Read the entire paper on Zenodo.