Why Would I Bother? A Qualitative Study on Perceptions of Renewable Energy Communities by Polish Photovoltaic Installation Owners

Renewable energy communities (REC) are pivotal in fostering decentralized, sustainable energy systems by empowering local stakeholders to collectively generate, share, and manage renewable energy resources, promoting community resilience and environmental stewardship. Within our study, we analyzed diversity of incentives and social barriers to participation in REC and identified actions to increase the willingness to participate in REC initiatives with particular consideration of the role of the understudied local Polish context. Hence, we present the results of the 16 in-depth interviews with Polish current and prospective prosumers and discuss the main drivers and barriers to participation in future REC. Our findings - interpreted against a broader backdrop of existing research and Bronfenbrenner's socio-ecological model - indicate that successful policies regarding REC have to consider the unprecedented growth rate of domestically installed photovoltaics and the specificity of Poland's historical, political, social, and economic conditions. We discuss the implications of the results for future policymakers and stakeholders responsible for REC implementation, along with some methodological remarks concerning the importance of accounting for heterogeneity and stronger embeddedness of research practices shaping policy design.