Can local organizations act as middle actors in energy support? Exploring their functions, motivations, challenges, and needs

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Sequeira, Miguel Macias
Publication Date: 2024
Other Authors: Gouveia, João Pedro, Joanaz de Melo, João
Format: Article
Language: eng
Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10362/179702
Summary: Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.
id RCAP_3e08be8dc33072a2c02f41e99be80aa1
oai_identifier_str oai:run.unl.pt:10362/179702
network_acronym_str RCAP
network_name_str Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
repository_id_str https://opendoar.ac.uk/repository/7160
spelling Can local organizations act as middle actors in energy support? Exploring their functions, motivations, challenges, and needsEnergy efficiencyEnergy povertyIntermediariesOne-stop shopPortugalVulnerable householdsEnergy(all)SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean EnergyPublisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.Energy efficiency is vital for energy transitions, and energy-poor, vulnerable, and hard-to-reach groups are at risk of being left behind. In this context, local middle actors have been suggested as partners in deploying targeted energy support. Nevertheless, scarce research has engaged with them to assess if they are willing and capable of contributing, if they can reach households, and if they have unmet needs. In this research, we draw on the mapping of 198 local organizations and 34 semi-structured interviews conducted after deploying a pilot energy support service in Setúbal, Portugal. Interviews characterized the organizations and target audiences, assessed energy literacy, explored potential collaborative roles, and recognized drivers, barriers, and solutions. Results show that most organizations are willing to disseminate activities, forward citizens, facilitate contacts, co-organize events, and participate in training. Half can identify vulnerable families for proactive support. Drivers include environmental concerns, community participation, and social support. However, few seem able to conduct energy support, hire/redirect staff, or participate in coordination. Scarce human resources, lack of time, other priorities, and financing concerns severely constrain local organizations. This case study finds some potential for local organizations to act as intermediaries in energy support, building on their communication channels and trusted relationships to fulfill specific roles. However, they are often hard-to-reach themselves and burdened with demanding activities. Thus, we suggest that fostering collaborations with local organizations is challenging but possible. It requires dedicated funding, time, and resources to empower, capacitate, and reward middle actors for their contributions in delivering energy support.Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT)CENSE - Centro de Investigação em Ambiente e SustentabilidadeRUNSequeira, Miguel MaciasGouveia, João PedroJoanaz de Melo, João2025-02-24T22:40:04Z2024-102024-10-01T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10362/179702eng1570-646XPURE: 107365134https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-024-10262-5info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)instname:FCCN, serviços digitais da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologiainstacron:RCAAP2025-03-03T01:38:34Zoai:run.unl.pt:10362/179702Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireinfo@rcaap.ptopendoar:https://opendoar.ac.uk/repository/71602025-05-29T00:06:31.976684Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP) - FCCN, serviços digitais da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologiafalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Can local organizations act as middle actors in energy support? Exploring their functions, motivations, challenges, and needs
title Can local organizations act as middle actors in energy support? Exploring their functions, motivations, challenges, and needs
spellingShingle Can local organizations act as middle actors in energy support? Exploring their functions, motivations, challenges, and needs
Sequeira, Miguel Macias
Energy efficiency
Energy poverty
Intermediaries
One-stop shop
Portugal
Vulnerable households
Energy(all)
SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
title_short Can local organizations act as middle actors in energy support? Exploring their functions, motivations, challenges, and needs
title_full Can local organizations act as middle actors in energy support? Exploring their functions, motivations, challenges, and needs
title_fullStr Can local organizations act as middle actors in energy support? Exploring their functions, motivations, challenges, and needs
title_full_unstemmed Can local organizations act as middle actors in energy support? Exploring their functions, motivations, challenges, and needs
title_sort Can local organizations act as middle actors in energy support? Exploring their functions, motivations, challenges, and needs
author Sequeira, Miguel Macias
author_facet Sequeira, Miguel Macias
Gouveia, João Pedro
Joanaz de Melo, João
author_role author
author2 Gouveia, João Pedro
Joanaz de Melo, João
author2_role author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT)
CENSE - Centro de Investigação em Ambiente e Sustentabilidade
RUN
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Sequeira, Miguel Macias
Gouveia, João Pedro
Joanaz de Melo, João
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Energy efficiency
Energy poverty
Intermediaries
One-stop shop
Portugal
Vulnerable households
Energy(all)
SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
topic Energy efficiency
Energy poverty
Intermediaries
One-stop shop
Portugal
Vulnerable households
Energy(all)
SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
description Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.
publishDate 2024
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2024-10
2024-10-01T00:00:00Z
2025-02-24T22:40:04Z
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10362/179702
url http://hdl.handle.net/10362/179702
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv 1570-646X
PURE: 107365134
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-024-10262-5
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
instname:FCCN, serviços digitais da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
instacron:RCAAP
instname_str FCCN, serviços digitais da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
instacron_str RCAAP
institution RCAAP
reponame_str Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
collection Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
repository.name.fl_str_mv Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP) - FCCN, serviços digitais da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
repository.mail.fl_str_mv info@rcaap.pt
_version_ 1833600402801557504

Similar Items