Analysis of the Energy Consumption Behavior of European RES Cooperative Members

Abstract

REScoops are cooperatives of renewable energy producers and/or consumers that are being formed in the developing European Smart Grid. Today, there are more than 2397 REScoops with more than 650,000 members. Their development indicates the necessity of producing and consuming green energy, assists the fight against energy poverty, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by utilizing smart management systems and self-consumption techniques. An essential objective of the H2020 REScoop Plus project is to stimulate better understanding and promote the cooperatives’ commitment to behavioral change. To achieve such a goal, this paper presents the methodology adopted to assess the energy-saving activities and behavior of the REScoops. In order to obtain relevant conclusions, a detailed statistical analysis was undertaken. Moreover, the analysis led to an effective classification of the various members, providing insights regarding their contribution to consumption reduction according to various specific characteristics. The statistical analysis showed that REScoop members contribute significantly to energy conservation and the reduction of harmful gas emissions, and subsequently, the majority of the energy efficiency (EE) interventions led to achieving more than 20% reductions. Specific practices, already adopted by the REScoops, lead to increased energy efficiency and environmental benefits.

How Climate Change Affects the Building Energy Consumptions Due to Cooling, Heating, and Electricity Demands of Italian Residential Sector

“…In terms of energy planning, an extremely interesting role is played by the cooperatives. The overview of energy cooperatives in terms of organization, financing, and participation is broad, and German cooperatives can be an interesting reference [27,28]; local cooperatives can also be designed for the use of new technologies to combine heating and electricity [29]; in general, statistical analyses on the European cooperatives [30] show a good effectiveness of energy efficiency interventions carried out in a REScoop, with a significant reduction (>20%) in energy consumption and harmful gas emissions.…”

How Much Energy Efficient are Renewable Energy Sources Cooperatives’ Initiatives?

“…The definition of REScoops has been adopted from the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) Statement on Cooperative Identity 1995. They are usually community-based organizations, and consequently, they deliver local democratic control over energy issues [5,6].…”

“…As the transition to RES is primarily enforced politically, there are immense conflicting interests for value creation locally. This is especially critical given the diverse nature of electricity systems amongst the EU Member States [5,16].In 2020, the number of REScoops is more than 2,400 worldwide; their members will exceed 650,000 people [17][18][19]. Due to the REScoops' activity, citizens are finally a key player in the investments and operations regarding RES in several European countries [20].…”

“…As the transition to RES is primarily enforced politically, there are immense conflicting interests for value creation locally. This is especially critical given the diverse nature of electricity systems amongst the EU Member States [5,16].…”

Big Data for Energy Management and Energy-Efficient Buildings

“…Nowadays, some prosumers have access to data regarding the production of energy from their Renewable Energy System (RES) self-consumption system and know what they are consuming from the grid [70]. However, they do not have tools where they can match that data or analyze it or receive indications on how to better management their energy consumption in accordance with their production.…”