Energy Communities and Socio-Territorial Innovation in Urban Suburbs. Insights from the Case of Naples

Renewable energy communities (RECs) are a new energy model promoted by the EU for a sustainable and just transition. This explorative case-study examines a supposedly successful REC in a socially disadvantaged suburban area. The research centres on the Renewable and Solidarity Energy Community of East Naples (ReSECEN), led by the Famiglia di Maria Foundation (FMF). The aim is to outline a preliminary framework to understand the factors that make energy community projects (and their impacts) possible in urban districts such as East Naples, characterised by social, economic and environmental challenges. ReSECEN was established in 2021 through collaboration between the FMF and Legambiente Campania, with external financial support. The project relies on trust and pre-existing relational networks. The analysis reveals limited participation of members in management of REC, behavioural and perceptual changes mainly for direct participants, and limited impact of the initiative in the district. Thus, the study offers some insights into the process of engaging individuals with fewer resources (social, cognitive, economic), considering the importance of local context and network of actors that enables these experiences to take place. In these cases, the need for a balance centralised management and active participation seems to emerge for the success of RECs in complex urban contexts, like the suburbs of large cities.