Smart Energy Sharing in a German Living Lab: From Participation to Business Model

Abstract

Climate change enforces societies all over the world to reduce their CO2 emissions to help mitigate global warming. As a large greenhouse gas emitter, the energy sector is an important part of the transition to a more sustainable economy. Urban areas pose a lot of potential when it comes to a more sustainable energy generation and consumption. In this chapter, the aim is to answer how a local energy market can be organized by the stakeholders in an urban living lab reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, promoting transformation of urban structures, and hence building more resilient neighborhoods. The main focus lies on the inclusion of stakeholders, e.g., local citizens, research groups, and investors. The research process we describe takes place within a living lab. Here we share the lessons learned and how the solutions developed could be transferred to other regions.