Transition to a sustainable energy production and consumption model – mapping the patterns of success
Abstract
This research paper fills a literature gap by tapping into Europe’s Just Transition to green energy production and consumption models and introduces empirically derived trends. The mix of analysed variables was targeted at sustainable energy transformation models according to complementary economic research areas. Based on the clustered heat maps method, double dendrograms were constructed to identify socioeconomic and environmental patterns that characterize highly economic-efficient and sustainable transition patterns from the standard energy production and consumption model to the environmental-friendly and cost-efficient model in the European area. Results show that Austria, Denmark, Norway, Ireland, and Luxembourg followed the patterns of highly economically performant European countries that turned energy and resource productivity in their favour based on multiple factors: recycling, R&D, innovation, digitization. The opposite was observed in the case of many South-Eastern European countries. Robustness checks were performed based on the linear discriminant analysis methodology and results confirmed that Northern European countries lead the change to a more sustainable future. In this context, this research brings empirical results for decision-makers and aims to facilitate a better understanding for adapting policies according to national needs, as well as to the patterns of success identified in the case of European leaders.
First published online 15 June 2022
Keyword : sustainable energy model, sustainability, economics of clean energy, renewable energy, environmental and economic efficiency, performance assessment, clustered heat maps, double dendrograms
How to Cite
Popescu, M.-F., Constantin, M., & Chiripuci, B. C. (2022). Transition to a sustainable energy production and consumption model – mapping the patterns of success. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 23(4), 915–936. https://doi.org/10.3846/jbem.2022.17022
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Alexander, S., & Yacoumis, P. (2018). Degrowth, energy descent, and ‘low-tech’ living: Potential pathways for increased resilience in times of crisis. Journal of Cleaner Production, 197, 1840–1848. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.09.100
Anbumozhi, V., Kalirajan, K., & Kimura, F. (Eds.). (2018). Financing for Low-carbon energy transition. Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8582-6
Andrei, J. V., Gogonea, R.-M., Patrascu, A., & Zaharia, M. (2019). Evaluating the effectiveness of environmental protection efforts on increasing the convergence between the EU and Romania – Rethinking the common problems. Економика Пољопривреде, 66(2). https://doi.org/10.5937/ekoPolj1902389A
Augutis, J., Krikštolaitis, R., Pečiulytė, S., & Konstantinavičiūtė, I. (2011). Sustainable development and energy security level after Ignalina NPP shutdown. Technological and Economic Development of Economy, 17(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.3846/13928619.2011.553930
Banacu, C. S., Busu, M., Ignat, R., & Trica, C. L. (2019). Entrepreneurial innovation impact on recycling municipal waste. A panel data analysis at the EU level. Sustainability, 11(18), 5125. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11185125
Becker, S., & Naumann, M. (2017). Energy democracy: Mapping the debate on energy alternatives. Geography Compass, 11(8), e12321. https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.12321
Beggio, G., & Kusch, S. (2015). Renewable energy cooperatives: Main features and success factors in collectively implementing energy transition. QUAESTI-Virtual Multidisciplinary Conference, 1. https://doi.org/10.18638/quaesti.2015.3.1.208
Borowski, P. F. (2021). Digitization, digital twins, blockchain, and Industry 4.0 as elements of management process in enterprises in the energy sector. Energies, 14(7), 1885. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14071885
Caldecott, B. (2018). Stranded assets and the environment: Risk, resilience and opportunity. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315651606
Caruso, G., Colantonio, E., & Gattone, S. A. (2020). Relationships between renewable energy consumption, social factors, and health: A panel vector auto regression analysis of a cluster of 12 EU countries. Sustainability, 12(7), 2915. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072915
Cepoi, C.-O., Bran, M., & Dinu, M. (2020). Investigating the nexus between fuel ethanol and CO2 emissions. A panel smooth transition regression approach. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 21(6), 1774–1792. https://doi.org/10.3846/jbem.2020.13695
Chalkiadakis, G., Akasiadis, C., Savvakis, N., Tsoutsos, T., Hoppe, T., & Coenen, F. (2018). Providing a scientific arm to renewable energy cooperatives. In The role of exergy in energy and the environment (pp. 717–731). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-89845-2_51
Chang, C., Zhu, N., Yang, K., & Yang, F. (2018). Data and analytics for heating energy consumption of residential buildings: The case of a severe cold climate region of China. Energy and Buildings, 172, 104–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2018.04.037
Doppelt, B. (2017). Leading change toward sustainability: A change-management guide for business, government and civil society. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351278966
European Commission. (2019). Third energy package [Text]. Energy. https://ec.europa.eu/energy/topics/markets-and-consumers/market-legislation/third-energy-package_en
Eurostat. (2021). Inability to keep home adequately warm – EU-SILC survey. Eurostat. https://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=ilc_mdes01&lang=en
Evans, D., & Yen, D. C. (2005). E-government: An analysis for implementation: Framework for understanding cultural and social impact. Government Information Quarterly, 22(3), 354–373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2005.05.007
Fairchild, D., & Weinrub, A. (2017). Energy democracy. In The community resilience reader (pp. 195–206). Springer. https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-861-9_12
Fallahi, F., & Voia, M.-C. (2015). Convergence and persistence in per capita energy use among OECD countries: Revisited using confidence intervals. Energy Economics, 52, 246–253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2015.10.004
Ferrari, C. A., & Chartier, C. (2018). Degrowth, energy democracy, technology and social-ecological relations: Discussing a localised energy system in Vaxjö, Sweden. Journal of Cleaner Production, 197, 1754–1765. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.05.100
Fu, W., Turner, J. C., Zhao, J., & Du, G. (2015). Ecological footprint (EF): An expanded role in calculating resource productivity (RP) using China and the G20 member countries as examples. Ecological Indicators, 48, 464–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.09.023
Geller, H. (2012). Energy revolution: Policies for a sustainable future. Island Press.
Gorroño-Albizu, L. (2020). The benefits of local cross-sector consumer ownership models for the transition to a renewable smart energy system in Denmark. An exploratory study. Energies, 13(6), 1508. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13061508
Haney, A. B., & Pollitt, M. G. (2013). New models of public ownership in energy. International Review of Applied Economics, 27(2), 174–192. https://doi.org/10.1080/02692171.2012.734790
Hansen, K., Breyer, C., & Lund, H. (2019). Status and perspectives on 100% renewable energy systems. Energy, 175, 471–480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2019.03.092
Höfer, H.-H., & Rommel, J. (2015). Internal governance and member investment behavior in energy cooperatives: An experimental approach. Utilities Policy, 36, 52–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jup.2015.09.003
Hoffman, S. M., & High-Pippert, A. (2010). From private lives to collective action: Recruitment and participation incentives for a community energy program. Energy Policy, 38(12), 7567–7574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2009.06.054
Holgersson, M. (1978). The limited value of cophenetic correlation as a clustering criterion. Pattern Recognition, 10(4), 287–295. https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-3203(78)90038-9
Holstenkamp, L., & Kahla, F. (2016). What are community energy companies trying to accomplish? An empirical investigation of investment motives in the German case. Energy Policy, 97, 112–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2016.07.010
International Energy Agency. (2018). World energy outlook 2018 – Analysis. https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2018
International Renewable Energy Agency. (2017). Stranded assets and renewables: How the energy transition affects the value of energy reserves, buildings and capital stock. https://www.irena.org
Istudor, N., Ion, R. A., Petrescu, I. E., & Hrebenciuc, A. (2019). Agriculture and the twofold relationship between food security and climate change. Evidence from Romania. Amfiteatru Economic, 21(51), 285–293. https://doi.org/10.24818/EA/2019/51/285
Jentleson, B. (1986). Pipeline politics: The complex political economy of East–West energy trade (Vol. 82). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.7591/9781501744518
Khajehpour, H., Miremadi, I., Saboohi, Y., & Tsatsaronis, G. (2020). A novel approach for analyzing the effectiveness of the R&D capital for resource conservation: Comparative study on Germany and UK electricity sectors. Energy Policy, 147, 111792. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111792
Koirala, B. P., Chaves Ávila, J. P., Gómez, T., Hakvoort, R. A., & Herder, P. M. (2016). Local alternative for energy supply: Performance assessment of integrated community energy systems. Energies, 9(12), 981. https://doi.org/10.3390/en9120981
Koirala, B. P., Koliou, E., Friege, J., Hakvoort, R. A., & Herder, P. M. (2016). Energetic communities for community energy: A review of key issues and trends shaping integrated community energy systems. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 56, 722–744. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.11.080
Kunze, C., & Becker, S. (2015). Collective ownership in renewable energy and opportunities for sustainable degrowth. Sustainability Science, 10(3), 425–437. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-015-0301-0
Langlet, D., & Mahmoudi, S. (2016). EU environmental law and policy (1st ed.). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198753926.001.0001
Leitao, J., Ferreira, J., & Santibanez‐Gonzalez, E. (2021). Green bonds, sustainable development and environmental policy in the European Union carbon market. Business Strategy and the Environment, 30(4), 2077–2090. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2733
Löffler, K., Burandt, T., Hainsch, K., & Oei, P.-Y. (2019). Modeling the low-carbon transition of the European energy system-a quantitative assessment of the stranded assets problem. Energy Strategy Reviews, 26, 100422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2019.100422
Lowitzsch, J. (2019). Investing in a renewable future–renewable energy communities, consumer (Co-) ownership and energy sharing in the clean energy package. Renewable Energy Law and Policy Review, 9(2), 14–36. https://doi.org/10.4337/eecj.2020.02-03.06
Lowitzsch, J. (2020). Consumer stock ownership plans (CSOPs) – The prototype business model for renewable energy communities. Energies, 13(1), 118. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13010118
Lowitzsch, J., & Hanke, F. (2019). Consumer (Co-) ownership in Renewables, energy efficiency and the fight against energy poverty – a dilemma of energy transitions. Renewable Energy Law and Policy Review, 9(3), 5–21.
Mather, P. (1976). Computational methods of multivariate analysis in physical geography (Vol. 2). Wiley.
Mills, E. F. E. A., Zeng, K., & Baafi, M. A. (2020). The economy-energy-environment Nexus in IMF’s Top 2 biggest economies: A TY approach. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 21(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.3846/jbem.2019.11321
Morris, C., & Jungjohann, A. (2016). Energy democracy. Germany’s Energiewende To Renewables. Palgrave Macmillan Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31891-2
Oei, P.-Y., & Mendelevitch, R. (2019). Prospects for steam coal exporters in the era of climate policies: A case study of Colombia. Climate Policy, 19(1), 73–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2018.1449094
Pătărlăgeanu, S. R., Constantin, M., Strat, G., & Deaconu, M. E. (2021). Best practices of circular activities in the agri-food sector from the Netherlands and Romania. ASE Publishing House.
Pătărlăgeanu, S. R., Negrei, C., Dinu, M., & Chiocaru, R. (2020). Reducing the carbon footprint of the Bucharest University of Economic Studies through green facades in an economically efficient manner. Sustainability, 12(9), 3779. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093779
Peeters, M., & Uylenburg, R. (Eds.). (2014). EU environmental legislation: Legal perspectives on regulatory strategies. Edward Elgar. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781781954775
Radtke, J. (2014). A closer look inside collaborative action: Civic engagement and participation in community energy initiatives. People, Place & Policy Online, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.3351/ppp.0008.0003.0008
Radtke, J., Drewing, E., Eichenauer, E., Holstenkamp, L., Kamlage, J.-H., Mey, F., Warode, J., & Wegener, J. (2020). Energy transition and civic engagement. In The role of public participation in energy transitions (pp. 81–91). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-819515-4.00004-0
Rommel, J., Radtke, J., Von Jorck, G., Mey, F., & Yildiz, Ö. (2018). Community renewable energy at a crossroads: A think piece on degrowth, technology, and the democratization of the German energy system. Journal of Cleaner Production, 197, 1746–1753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.11.114
Sachs, J. D., Woo, W. T., Yoshino, N., & Taghizadeh-Hesary, F. (Eds.). (2019). Handbook of green finance: Energy security and sustainable development. Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0227-5
Šahović, N., & Da Silva, P. P. (2016). Community renewable energy-research perspectives. Energy Procedia, 106, 46–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2016.12.104
Sifakis, N., Savvakis, N., Daras, T., & Tsoutsos, T. (2019). Analysis of the energy consumption behavior of European RES cooperative members. Energies, 12(6), 970. https://doi.org/10.3390/en12060970
Simionescu, M., Strielkowski, W., & Tvaronavičienė, M. (2020). Renewable energy in final energy consumption and income in the EU-28 countries. Energies, 13(9), 2280. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13092280
Skordoulis, M., Ntanos, S., & Arabatzis, G. (2020). Socioeconomic evaluation of green energy investments: Analyzing citizens’ willingness to invest in photovoltaics in Greece. International Journal of Energy Sector Management, 14(5), 871–890. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJESM-12-2019-0015
Soava, G., Mehedintu, A., Sterpu, M., & Raduteanu, M. (2018). Impact of renewable energy consumption on economic growth: Evidence from European Union countries. Technological and Economic Development of Economy, 24(3), 914–932. https://doi.org/10.3846/tede.2018.1426
Szulecki, K. (2018). Conceptualizing energy democracy. Environmental Politics, 27(1), 21–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2017.1387294
Torabi Moghadam, S., Di Nicoli, M. V., Manzo, S., & Lombardi, P. (2020). Mainstreaming energy communities in the transition to a low-carbon future: A methodological approach. Energies, 13(7), 1597. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13071597
Voicu-Dorobanțu, R., Volintiru, C., Popescu, M.-F., Nerău, V., & Ștefan, G. (2021). Tackling complexity of the just transition in the EU: Evidence from Romania. Energies, 14(5), 1509. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14051509
von Hirschhausen, C., Gerbaulet, C., Kemfert, C., Lorenz, C., & Oei, P.-Y. (2018). Energiewende “Made in Germany”. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95126-3
Wears, R. L. (2002). Advanced statistics: Statistical Methods for analyzing cluster and cluster-randomized data. Academic Emergency Medicine, 9(4), 330–341. https://doi.org/10.1197/aemj.9.4.330
Yildiz, Ö. (2014). Financing renewable energy infrastructures via financial citizen participation – The case of Germany. Renewable Energy, 68, 677–685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2014.02.038
Yunus, M., & Weber, K. (2017). A world of three zeros: The new economics of zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero carbon emissions (1st ed.). PublicAffairs.
Anbumozhi, V., Kalirajan, K., & Kimura, F. (Eds.). (2018). Financing for Low-carbon energy transition. Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8582-6
Andrei, J. V., Gogonea, R.-M., Patrascu, A., & Zaharia, M. (2019). Evaluating the effectiveness of environmental protection efforts on increasing the convergence between the EU and Romania – Rethinking the common problems. Економика Пољопривреде, 66(2). https://doi.org/10.5937/ekoPolj1902389A
Augutis, J., Krikštolaitis, R., Pečiulytė, S., & Konstantinavičiūtė, I. (2011). Sustainable development and energy security level after Ignalina NPP shutdown. Technological and Economic Development of Economy, 17(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.3846/13928619.2011.553930
Banacu, C. S., Busu, M., Ignat, R., & Trica, C. L. (2019). Entrepreneurial innovation impact on recycling municipal waste. A panel data analysis at the EU level. Sustainability, 11(18), 5125. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11185125
Becker, S., & Naumann, M. (2017). Energy democracy: Mapping the debate on energy alternatives. Geography Compass, 11(8), e12321. https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.12321
Beggio, G., & Kusch, S. (2015). Renewable energy cooperatives: Main features and success factors in collectively implementing energy transition. QUAESTI-Virtual Multidisciplinary Conference, 1. https://doi.org/10.18638/quaesti.2015.3.1.208
Borowski, P. F. (2021). Digitization, digital twins, blockchain, and Industry 4.0 as elements of management process in enterprises in the energy sector. Energies, 14(7), 1885. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14071885
Caldecott, B. (2018). Stranded assets and the environment: Risk, resilience and opportunity. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315651606
Caruso, G., Colantonio, E., & Gattone, S. A. (2020). Relationships between renewable energy consumption, social factors, and health: A panel vector auto regression analysis of a cluster of 12 EU countries. Sustainability, 12(7), 2915. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072915
Cepoi, C.-O., Bran, M., & Dinu, M. (2020). Investigating the nexus between fuel ethanol and CO2 emissions. A panel smooth transition regression approach. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 21(6), 1774–1792. https://doi.org/10.3846/jbem.2020.13695
Chalkiadakis, G., Akasiadis, C., Savvakis, N., Tsoutsos, T., Hoppe, T., & Coenen, F. (2018). Providing a scientific arm to renewable energy cooperatives. In The role of exergy in energy and the environment (pp. 717–731). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-89845-2_51
Chang, C., Zhu, N., Yang, K., & Yang, F. (2018). Data and analytics for heating energy consumption of residential buildings: The case of a severe cold climate region of China. Energy and Buildings, 172, 104–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2018.04.037
Doppelt, B. (2017). Leading change toward sustainability: A change-management guide for business, government and civil society. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351278966
European Commission. (2019). Third energy package [Text]. Energy. https://ec.europa.eu/energy/topics/markets-and-consumers/market-legislation/third-energy-package_en
Eurostat. (2021). Inability to keep home adequately warm – EU-SILC survey. Eurostat. https://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=ilc_mdes01&lang=en
Evans, D., & Yen, D. C. (2005). E-government: An analysis for implementation: Framework for understanding cultural and social impact. Government Information Quarterly, 22(3), 354–373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2005.05.007
Fairchild, D., & Weinrub, A. (2017). Energy democracy. In The community resilience reader (pp. 195–206). Springer. https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-861-9_12
Fallahi, F., & Voia, M.-C. (2015). Convergence and persistence in per capita energy use among OECD countries: Revisited using confidence intervals. Energy Economics, 52, 246–253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2015.10.004
Ferrari, C. A., & Chartier, C. (2018). Degrowth, energy democracy, technology and social-ecological relations: Discussing a localised energy system in Vaxjö, Sweden. Journal of Cleaner Production, 197, 1754–1765. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.05.100
Fu, W., Turner, J. C., Zhao, J., & Du, G. (2015). Ecological footprint (EF): An expanded role in calculating resource productivity (RP) using China and the G20 member countries as examples. Ecological Indicators, 48, 464–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.09.023
Geller, H. (2012). Energy revolution: Policies for a sustainable future. Island Press.
Gorroño-Albizu, L. (2020). The benefits of local cross-sector consumer ownership models for the transition to a renewable smart energy system in Denmark. An exploratory study. Energies, 13(6), 1508. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13061508
Haney, A. B., & Pollitt, M. G. (2013). New models of public ownership in energy. International Review of Applied Economics, 27(2), 174–192. https://doi.org/10.1080/02692171.2012.734790
Hansen, K., Breyer, C., & Lund, H. (2019). Status and perspectives on 100% renewable energy systems. Energy, 175, 471–480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2019.03.092
Höfer, H.-H., & Rommel, J. (2015). Internal governance and member investment behavior in energy cooperatives: An experimental approach. Utilities Policy, 36, 52–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jup.2015.09.003
Hoffman, S. M., & High-Pippert, A. (2010). From private lives to collective action: Recruitment and participation incentives for a community energy program. Energy Policy, 38(12), 7567–7574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2009.06.054
Holgersson, M. (1978). The limited value of cophenetic correlation as a clustering criterion. Pattern Recognition, 10(4), 287–295. https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-3203(78)90038-9
Holstenkamp, L., & Kahla, F. (2016). What are community energy companies trying to accomplish? An empirical investigation of investment motives in the German case. Energy Policy, 97, 112–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2016.07.010
International Energy Agency. (2018). World energy outlook 2018 – Analysis. https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2018
International Renewable Energy Agency. (2017). Stranded assets and renewables: How the energy transition affects the value of energy reserves, buildings and capital stock. https://www.irena.org
Istudor, N., Ion, R. A., Petrescu, I. E., & Hrebenciuc, A. (2019). Agriculture and the twofold relationship between food security and climate change. Evidence from Romania. Amfiteatru Economic, 21(51), 285–293. https://doi.org/10.24818/EA/2019/51/285
Jentleson, B. (1986). Pipeline politics: The complex political economy of East–West energy trade (Vol. 82). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.7591/9781501744518
Khajehpour, H., Miremadi, I., Saboohi, Y., & Tsatsaronis, G. (2020). A novel approach for analyzing the effectiveness of the R&D capital for resource conservation: Comparative study on Germany and UK electricity sectors. Energy Policy, 147, 111792. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111792
Koirala, B. P., Chaves Ávila, J. P., Gómez, T., Hakvoort, R. A., & Herder, P. M. (2016). Local alternative for energy supply: Performance assessment of integrated community energy systems. Energies, 9(12), 981. https://doi.org/10.3390/en9120981
Koirala, B. P., Koliou, E., Friege, J., Hakvoort, R. A., & Herder, P. M. (2016). Energetic communities for community energy: A review of key issues and trends shaping integrated community energy systems. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 56, 722–744. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.11.080
Kunze, C., & Becker, S. (2015). Collective ownership in renewable energy and opportunities for sustainable degrowth. Sustainability Science, 10(3), 425–437. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-015-0301-0
Langlet, D., & Mahmoudi, S. (2016). EU environmental law and policy (1st ed.). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198753926.001.0001
Leitao, J., Ferreira, J., & Santibanez‐Gonzalez, E. (2021). Green bonds, sustainable development and environmental policy in the European Union carbon market. Business Strategy and the Environment, 30(4), 2077–2090. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2733
Löffler, K., Burandt, T., Hainsch, K., & Oei, P.-Y. (2019). Modeling the low-carbon transition of the European energy system-a quantitative assessment of the stranded assets problem. Energy Strategy Reviews, 26, 100422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2019.100422
Lowitzsch, J. (2019). Investing in a renewable future–renewable energy communities, consumer (Co-) ownership and energy sharing in the clean energy package. Renewable Energy Law and Policy Review, 9(2), 14–36. https://doi.org/10.4337/eecj.2020.02-03.06
Lowitzsch, J. (2020). Consumer stock ownership plans (CSOPs) – The prototype business model for renewable energy communities. Energies, 13(1), 118. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13010118
Lowitzsch, J., & Hanke, F. (2019). Consumer (Co-) ownership in Renewables, energy efficiency and the fight against energy poverty – a dilemma of energy transitions. Renewable Energy Law and Policy Review, 9(3), 5–21.
Mather, P. (1976). Computational methods of multivariate analysis in physical geography (Vol. 2). Wiley.
Mills, E. F. E. A., Zeng, K., & Baafi, M. A. (2020). The economy-energy-environment Nexus in IMF’s Top 2 biggest economies: A TY approach. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 21(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.3846/jbem.2019.11321
Morris, C., & Jungjohann, A. (2016). Energy democracy. Germany’s Energiewende To Renewables. Palgrave Macmillan Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31891-2
Oei, P.-Y., & Mendelevitch, R. (2019). Prospects for steam coal exporters in the era of climate policies: A case study of Colombia. Climate Policy, 19(1), 73–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2018.1449094
Pătărlăgeanu, S. R., Constantin, M., Strat, G., & Deaconu, M. E. (2021). Best practices of circular activities in the agri-food sector from the Netherlands and Romania. ASE Publishing House.
Pătărlăgeanu, S. R., Negrei, C., Dinu, M., & Chiocaru, R. (2020). Reducing the carbon footprint of the Bucharest University of Economic Studies through green facades in an economically efficient manner. Sustainability, 12(9), 3779. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093779
Peeters, M., & Uylenburg, R. (Eds.). (2014). EU environmental legislation: Legal perspectives on regulatory strategies. Edward Elgar. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781781954775
Radtke, J. (2014). A closer look inside collaborative action: Civic engagement and participation in community energy initiatives. People, Place & Policy Online, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.3351/ppp.0008.0003.0008
Radtke, J., Drewing, E., Eichenauer, E., Holstenkamp, L., Kamlage, J.-H., Mey, F., Warode, J., & Wegener, J. (2020). Energy transition and civic engagement. In The role of public participation in energy transitions (pp. 81–91). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-819515-4.00004-0
Rommel, J., Radtke, J., Von Jorck, G., Mey, F., & Yildiz, Ö. (2018). Community renewable energy at a crossroads: A think piece on degrowth, technology, and the democratization of the German energy system. Journal of Cleaner Production, 197, 1746–1753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.11.114
Sachs, J. D., Woo, W. T., Yoshino, N., & Taghizadeh-Hesary, F. (Eds.). (2019). Handbook of green finance: Energy security and sustainable development. Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0227-5
Šahović, N., & Da Silva, P. P. (2016). Community renewable energy-research perspectives. Energy Procedia, 106, 46–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2016.12.104
Sifakis, N., Savvakis, N., Daras, T., & Tsoutsos, T. (2019). Analysis of the energy consumption behavior of European RES cooperative members. Energies, 12(6), 970. https://doi.org/10.3390/en12060970
Simionescu, M., Strielkowski, W., & Tvaronavičienė, M. (2020). Renewable energy in final energy consumption and income in the EU-28 countries. Energies, 13(9), 2280. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13092280
Skordoulis, M., Ntanos, S., & Arabatzis, G. (2020). Socioeconomic evaluation of green energy investments: Analyzing citizens’ willingness to invest in photovoltaics in Greece. International Journal of Energy Sector Management, 14(5), 871–890. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJESM-12-2019-0015
Soava, G., Mehedintu, A., Sterpu, M., & Raduteanu, M. (2018). Impact of renewable energy consumption on economic growth: Evidence from European Union countries. Technological and Economic Development of Economy, 24(3), 914–932. https://doi.org/10.3846/tede.2018.1426
Szulecki, K. (2018). Conceptualizing energy democracy. Environmental Politics, 27(1), 21–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2017.1387294
Torabi Moghadam, S., Di Nicoli, M. V., Manzo, S., & Lombardi, P. (2020). Mainstreaming energy communities in the transition to a low-carbon future: A methodological approach. Energies, 13(7), 1597. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13071597
Voicu-Dorobanțu, R., Volintiru, C., Popescu, M.-F., Nerău, V., & Ștefan, G. (2021). Tackling complexity of the just transition in the EU: Evidence from Romania. Energies, 14(5), 1509. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14051509
von Hirschhausen, C., Gerbaulet, C., Kemfert, C., Lorenz, C., & Oei, P.-Y. (2018). Energiewende “Made in Germany”. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95126-3
Wears, R. L. (2002). Advanced statistics: Statistical Methods for analyzing cluster and cluster-randomized data. Academic Emergency Medicine, 9(4), 330–341. https://doi.org/10.1197/aemj.9.4.330
Yildiz, Ö. (2014). Financing renewable energy infrastructures via financial citizen participation – The case of Germany. Renewable Energy, 68, 677–685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2014.02.038
Yunus, M., & Weber, K. (2017). A world of three zeros: The new economics of zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero carbon emissions (1st ed.). PublicAffairs.