Energy cooperatives, energy turn, and quality of life Salina Centgraf
Felix Rauschmayer
Torsten Masson
Centgraf/ Rauschmayer/ Masson
Conference: Energy Systems in Transition, 11.10.2013
Project partners
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Pfriem , Dr. Irene Antoni-
Komar, Dr. Christian Lautermann
apl. Prof. Dr. Niko Paech, Dr. Daniel Dorniok
Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg
Dr. Peter Moser, Beate Fischer, M.A.
IdE Institute decentralised Energy
Technologies, Kassel
Dr. Thomas Köhler
ISP Eduard Pestel Institute for systems
research, Hannover
Practice partners
N-Werk Osnabrück
Energiegenossenschaft Odenwald
Die Energiegesellschafter Werne
Die Oldenburger Energiegenossenschaft
Energiegenossenschaft in Kirchhatten
Energiegenossenschaft Berlin
funded by the Federal Ministry of
Education and Research (BMBF)
Duration: June 2013 to May 2016
Centgraf/ Rauschmayer/ Masson
Conference: Energy Systems in Transition, 11.10.2013
(Energy) cooperatives
Definition of cooperatives:
“an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common
economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned
and democratically controlled enterprise”
(source: ICA 2011: http://www.ica.coop/coop/principles.html)
Centgraf/ Rauschmayer/ Masson
Conference: Energy Systems in Transition, 11.10.2013
Energy cooperatives
number
year
Formation of energy cooperatives
since 2006 in Germany
Some facts:
• About 136.000 members in
Germany, 125.000 private persons
• Share of members:
about 426 millions €
• Investments in renewables:
about 1,2 billion €
• Supply of 160.000 average
households (source: DGRV brochure
2013)
Centgraf/ Rauschmayer/ Masson
Conference: Energy Systems in Transition, 11.10.2013
Energy cooperatives
Systematic differences:
• Size
• Age
• Local/urban
• Grid
• Storage
• Production (photovoltaic,
biomass, windpower)
Aims of ECs:
• Enhance changes in society
• Enhance changes in the community
• Enhance changes in the energy field
• Community- based ownership
• Energy production and consumption
• Grid
• Storage
• production (photovoltaic, biomass, windpower)
Centgraf/ Rauschmayer/ Masson
Conference: Energy Systems in Transition, 11.10.2013
Project EnGeno
Transformative power and role of EC for the energy turn
Centgraf/ Rauschmayer/ Masson
Conference: Energy Systems in Transition, 11.10.2013
Energy cooperatives, energy turn, and
quality of life
Hypotheses and assumptions:
• People join ECs as members due to different motivations: financial, ecological,
social and ideological.
• Being member of ECs influences one´s environmental behaviour.
• Being member of ECs enhances one´s quality of life.
Centgraf/ Rauschmayer/ Masson
Conference: Energy Systems in Transition, 11.10.2013
Energy cooperatives, energy turn, and
quality of life
Membership in EC
Individual needs and capabilites
Quality of life
EC as social setting
to change practices
Environmental friendliness
R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S
for
A C T I O N
Centgraf/ Rauschmayer/ Masson
Conference: Energy Systems in Transition, 11.10.2013
Quantitative and qualitative research Mixed-methods-design
• Quantitative survey:
• non-members (motives, barriers, general environmental behaviour (GEB),
EC relevant aspects of the self-concept, efficacy and acceptance)
• members of EC (motives, GEB, place identity, self-concept, practices)
• Qualitative semi-structured interviews (motives, barriers, practices and QoL)
• four focus groups:
• identify important goals and test questionnaire
• prepare the qualitative interviews
• reflect results with board-members and policy makers
Centgraf/ Rauschmayer/ Masson
Conference: Energy Systems in Transition, 11.10.2013
Recommendations for action
Recommendations for ECs
• Manual/guideline together with EC-board-members:
• Strenghtening ECs (number of members)
• Suggestions for enhancing members´quality of life
• Institutional, organisational and governance modifications
Recommendations for policy makers
• Strenghtening transformative power of ECs through change in regulations
Centgraf/ Rauschmayer/ Masson
Conference: Energy Systems in Transition, 11.10.2013
Current state
• First version of the questionnaire in the discussion
• How to connect the individual and systemic level (practice theory and QoL)?
• Selection of ECs as practice partners
Centgraf/ Rauschmayer/ Masson
Conference: Energy Systems in Transition, 11.10.2013
soon more on the EnGeno-project at: www.engeno.net
more research about EC: www.forschungsnetzwerk-
energiegenossenschaften.de
Centgraf/ Rauschmayer/ Masson
Conference: Energy Systems in Transition, 11.10.2013
Qualitative research
Needs and
capabilities
Centgraf/ Rauschmayer/ Masson
Conference: Energy Systems in Transition, 11.10.2013
CA agrees with needs approaches in critique of
resourcist and utilitarian approaches:
Well-being
more than having resources
not captured by happiness or other measures of utility
Achieved functionings as the various things a person may value doing
or being
CA goes beyond needs in emphasizing freedom: capabilities as the substantive freedoms to lead the kind of life the
person has reason to value
The Capability Approach and Needs
resources
(e.g. a bike)
functionings
(e.g. riding a bike)
valuation
(e.g. utility)