Trinomics and Ricardo-AEA have been asked by the European Commission’s DG Climate Action to look at the competitiveness of low-carbon energy technologies – conceptual work in light of innovation and industrial policy. The study looks at bottom-up concepts for the cooperative production, financing and use of low carbon technologies, such as local energy cooperatives, bike sharing schemes or photo voltaic purchase collectives. Such initiatives can be developed and applied by citizens, municipalities and industry. This may be associated with innovative business models such as crowdfunding, purchase collectives or performance contracting.
These concepts contribute to meeting targets for reducing greenhouse gases and could also contribute to competitiveness and job creation. Scalability and replicability of concepts are considered to give tentative indications of impacts in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, creating jobs and impact on competitiveness by 2050.
Twelve concepts for cooperative production financing and use of low carbon technologies are included in the study. This set is not intended to be exhaustive, but is intended to illustrate a range of different cooperative concepts. The concepts considered are:
- Bike sharing schemes
- Crowd funding
- PV purchase collectives
- Energy performance contracting (EPC)
- Low carbon hubs
- Municipal bonds
- Local energy cooperatives (LECs)
- Solar schools
- Euronet 50/50
- Nudge
- Online house renovation community
- Used cooking oils
Specific recommendations are made for fostering the expansion of each of these concepts. In addition, more general recommendations are made that would encourage the use of cooperative concepts for production, financing and use of low carbon technologies.
The results have been presented at a workshop with the European Commission, stakeholders and experts.
Further information on the project including reports and presentations is available at www.lowcarbonconcepts.eu.
