How can Renewable Energy Communities be designed around the needs, motivations and expectations of the people who participate in them?

On Thursday, 24 September 2026, the EU-funded SOCIAREM project will bring together European policy, research, citizen engagement and funding perspectives in the online webinar “Designing Renewable Energy Communities Around People.”

The webinar will take place at 17:00 CEST and will be available online and free to attend.

Putting people at the centre of the energy transition

Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) have the potential to support a more decentralised, participatory and sustainable energy system. However, their success depends not only on technical solutions, infrastructure or funding. It also depends on the people who are expected to participate.

SOCIAREM is developing digital tools and engagement approaches to support the creation of RECs and encourage meaningful citizen participation. The project combines technological innovation with social and behavioural research to better understand the conditions that can enable people to engage with community energy.

The upcoming webinar will present key findings from SOCIAREM's User Research Report, which explores different potential end-user profiles and the factors that may influence their participation in RECs.

The research considers areas including:

• Motivations for participating in RECs,
• Barriers and concerns that may prevent participation,
• Expectations of potential users,
• Trust and the factors that can influence engagement,
• Differences between potential user profiles and the conditions under which people may be willing and able to participate.

The research has resulted in seven user archetypes, providing a way to better understand the diversity of people who may interact with RECs.

From user research to European policy

The webinar will place these findings within the wider European context, connecting SOCIAREM's user research with the EU policy landscape for RECs.

Participants will also discover European funding opportunities relevant to the development of RECs.

The webinar will therefore bring together three important perspectives:

Policy. Research. Funding.

Together, these perspectives can help inform discussions about how RECs can become more inclusive, accessible and responsive to citizens' needs.

Join the conversation

Whether you are working on renewable energy, energy communities, citizen engagement, research and innovation, energy policy or European funding, this webinar offers an opportunity to explore how social and technical perspectives can come together in the development of future energy communities.

📅 Thursday, 24 September 2026
🕔 17:00 CEST
💻 Online webinar – free to attend

👉 Register for the webinar:
Eventbrite registration page