The Horizon Europe project will present findings from 21 focus groups involving 169 participants, providing the evidence base for a new generation of citizen-centred digital energy solutions.
-The insights will guide the development of SOCIAREM's digital toolkit for Renewable Energy Communities
The Horizon Europe project SOCIAREM will host the webinar “Designing Renewable Energy Communities Around People” on Thursday 24 September 2026, at 17:00 (CEST), presenting the first results of its User Research Report and marking the completion of the project’s first work package. The online event will showcase how insights gathered from citizens across Europe are informing the development of a new generation of digital tools designed to support more inclusive, efficient and user-centred Renewable Energy Communities (RECs).
Bringing together researchers, policymakers and stakeholders from across Europe, the event marks the completion of the project’s first work package and the beginning of a new phase focused on developing innovative digital solutions for Renewable Energy Communities.
Understanding users to accelerate the energy transition
At the core of the webinar is the presentation of Deliverable 1.2 : User Research Report, which examines how citizens perceive solar energy and Renewable Energy Communities. Drawing on 21 focus groups, interviews and ethnographic research involving 169 participants, the study provides one of the first comprehensive social analyses informing the development of digital tools for Renewable Energy Communities (RECs).
These findings place citizens at the centre of the project, ensuring that future solutions respond to real user needs rather than technological assumptions. To better understand these dynamics, SOCIAREM carried out qualitative research across several European countries, identifying common motivations, concerns, and behavioural patterns. The study also defines seven user archetypes and six gamer profiles, ensuring that the project’s future digital solutions are designed around real users rather than theoretical assumptions.
From research to real-world digital solutions
The knowledge gathered through the user research is directly shaping the SOCIAREM Toolkit, a suite of digital solutions designed to support Renewable Energy Communities.
The toolkit includes tools for photovoltaic planning, local grid management, peer-to-peer energy trading, real-time optimisation, smart inverter control, citizen engagement through a Serious Game, adaptive user interfaces and a Social Data Space. By combining technical, economic and social perspectives, these solutions aim to make Renewable Energy Communities more accessible, efficient and inclusive.
Each tool is being developed around the needs identified during the research phase, helping communities, local authorities, and other stakeholders make informed decisions and actively participate in Europe’s clean energy transition.
Join the webinar
The SOCIAREM Webinar: Understanding Citizens to Accelerate Renewable Energy Communities will take place online on Thursday 24 September 2026 and is open to researchers, policymakers, Renewable Energy Community representatives, public authorities, industry professionals and anyone interested in citizen-centred energy innovation.
Participants will have the opportunity to discover the project’s first research results, learn how these findings are driving the development of SOCIAREM’s digital tools and engage with experts working at the intersection of social research, renewable energy and digital innovation.
Registration is free: https://www.eventbrite.es/e/designing-renewable-energy-communities-around-people-tickets-1993544257539?aff=erelexpmlt