Community energy and community resilience: A multi-dimensional perspective

This chapter explores the mutually interdependent relationship between community energy and community resilience. The resilience of Community Energy Systems (CES) depends on both the physical aspects of energy provision and the socio-economic and political aspects of the constitution of communities. At the same time, sustainable energy projects managed by communities build autonomy, control over resources, and community cohesion thus making communities themselves more resilient. This chapter offers an analytical framework to analyse resilience in CES and to increase their resilience during their conceptualisation, installation, operation, and upgradation. Resilience is seen here as dependent on communities’ social, economic, physical, and human capital. The framework shows that while some aspects of CES resilience can be addressed in the design of the energy system, their success depends on appropriate mechanisms for community involvement and governance.