Citizen-led sustainable transition to empower Nordic Energy communities (CiNERGY): Sociotechnical Innovations for Enhanced Policy Instruments, Resilience, and Circularity

Achieving Sweden´s ambitious decarbonization goals requires a transition to decentralized energy systems and the integration of variable renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.

This transition necessitates active participation from various stakeholders, including citizen-driven initiatives like Energy Communities (ECs).

ECs can play a crucial role by enabling energy sharing, empowering prosumers, and offering benefits such as lower energy costs for vulnerable consumers. Despite several active EC initiatives in Sweden, persistent challenges hinder their full potential.

CiNERGY aims to address this bottleneck through a multidisciplinary approach, by (i) analyzing legal barriers, (ii) exploring circular business models, and (iii) developing AI-based resilient solutions, while (iv) assessing the acceptability of solutions for stakeholders.

This necessitates methodological contributions in modeling complex urban systems and developing novel policy-enabling game-theoretic models.

Built on strong collaboration with three host organizations (KTH, IVL, and the Technical University of Denmark), CiNERGY will (i) advance public awareness, (ii) contribute to a circular economy, and (iii) build resilient communities through smart solutions.

Additionally, it boosts the applicant´s academic profile by fostering his research independence, exploring new research questions, and expanding his academic and professional network.