Evaluating The Social Impact Of Renewable Energy Communities: A Design Science Research Approach

Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) are gaining traction across Europe. Italy recently established a national regulatory framework among other state members, including incentive policies drawing the attention of citizens, governmental entities, and non-profit institutions. The primary aim of RECs is expediting sustainable transition of the entire ecosystem through renewable energy production and consumption practices. Moreover, given their community-centric nature, RECs are supposed to jointly foster social, environmental, and economic benefits for their members and the localities they serve. From this perspective, while extant literature on REC is limited because of the yet-emerging phenomenon, there is an increasing need to define tailored social impact evaluation models from a practical standpoint. Building upon previous information systems research, we claim technology would be part of the solution. Accordingly, we propose a design science research approach to develop an IT artefact tailored to Italian RECs to support their operational efficiency and social impact evaluation system.