Energy Cooperatives Research Articles

Citizen participation gaps and challenges in the heating transition: Learning from Dutch community initiatives

The European Union has recognized the significance of community energy initiatives in the energy transition and introduced legislation to promote active consumer participation and renewable energy communities. The Netherlands, with its transition away from natural gas, serves as a valuable case study for understanding the challenges and processes of local ownership and participation in community energy initiatives. The research aims to address the dual challenge of defining local ownership and participation and exploring case-specific applications of these concepts. To achieve this, the study employs the Socio-Ecological Systems Framework and literature on participation, providing a theoretical foundation for analyzing citizen engagement. A mixed-methods approach, including interviews and data collection, is used to examine five Dutch community heating initiatives. The analysis highlights the importance of an enabling participatory environment, inclusive participation, information sharing, and the presence of energy cooperatives for successful citizen engagement. The findings have practical implications for EU energy policy, emphasizing the need for clear definitions, inclusive decision-making processes, and tailored engagement strategies.

Techno-economic feasibility of using solar energy in small-scale broiler production

Poultry farming is an energy intensive industry necessitating a substantial amount of fossil fuel consumption and leading to elevated operational expenses. This study investigated the economic feasibility of implementing renewable energy in small-scale broiler farms to decrease their dependency on fossil fuels and increase their profit. Assessment was based on experimental data collected from broiler production operations carried out in a green poultry house equipped with solar renewable energy systems and a conventional poultry house operated on conventional energy source. The experiments were conducted during both the warm and cold seasons in a semi-arid rural area in Lebanon. Average annual costs and benefits from broiler operations were calculated based on a total of 8 production cycles/year. Cost-benefit analysis was conducted to assess the viability of introducing renewable energy in broiler production. In addition, a twenty-year financial feasibility analysis was performed for both green and conventional systems using two different time value of money parameters; the Net Present Value (NPV) and the Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR). The results showed that broiler production using conventional energy achieved a total cost of 2.25 % lower than the cost incurred using green energy and higher total revenues of 5.55 %. Negative NPV and less than 1 BCR values were computed for both green and conventional systems demonstrating that broiler production in the study area is non-profitable in small-scale broiler farms, independently of the source of energy. Accordingly, it is recommended to adopt renewable energy cooperatives based on partnership between small-scale farms. This cooperative-based partnership model has proven to allow the adoption of renewable energy sources as sustainable and economically viable approach, contributing to increased farmers' revenues. Government subsidies and financial incentives are also essential to ensure the success and sustainability of the renewable energy cooperatives.

Business Model Selection for Community Energy Storage: A Multi Criteria Decision Making Approach

This paper explores business models for community energy storage (CES) and examines their potential and feasibility at the local level. By leveraging Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approaches and real-world case studies in Europe and India, it presents insights into CES deployment opportunities, challenges, and best practices. Different business models, including community energy cooperatives, utility–community partnerships, demand response, energy services, and market mechanisms, are analyzed. The proposed method combines the MCDM method PROMETHEE II with the fuzzy set theory to obtain a complete CES business model ranking, addressing project uncertainties. The analysis emphasizes CES’s role in balancing local renewable energy supply and demand, facilitating energy sharing, and achieving energy independence. Findings prioritize models like Community Cooperative, Energy Arbitrage, and Energy Arbitrage Peak Shaving for CES with renewables. Environmental benefits include reduced diesel use and greenhouse gas emissions. Efficient cooperatives are advocated to recover costs and enable competitive energy prices. The paper highlights the need for novel value propositions to boost the energy transition in local communities. This research contributes to the discourse on CES business models, fostering knowledge exchange and promoting effective strategies for sustainable energy systems.

Mapping energy citizenship in the south of Europe.

The adoption of new global approaches in the field of energy democratization requires inquiring into how people act to shape the energy system. This is where the concept of energy citizenship (ENCI) appears as a constellation of actors that enable and/or support citizens to became active participants in the debates and energy systems both in private and public sphere, or as a collective citizen that contributes to change (Pel et al., 2021). The aim of this paper is to explore the concept of ENCI in Southern Europe. Using a mixed approach, an extensive mapping of 43 ENCI initiatives in Spain (n = 29) and Portugal (n = 14) was conducted through desktop research, and a stakeholder consultation workshop (n = 7) was carried out through a focus group. Results revealed the major presence of collective ENCI types, with the citizen-based/hybrid one standing out (e.g., energy cooperatives). Most of them were motivated by the interest to contribute to energy transition or to produce and/or use renewable energy, and aimed at promoting energy saving, energy justice and reducing the carbon footprint. The general tendency is towards active participation (in Spain) and transformative forms (in Portugal). The possibilities for citizen control in the initiatives analysed is still limited. These results were confirmed by stakeholders who, additionally, pointed out the major political, social, economic, and geographical factors related to ENCI forms. In short, various types of ENCI could be validated in the Spanish and Portuguese context, showing a commitment to sustainability, democracy, and energy justice. Other non-evidenced forms may be raised as a challenge to further in-depth research on latent forms of ENCI in Southern Europe.

David against Goliath? Challenges and opportunities for energy cooperatives in Southern Europe

Unlike in some northern European countries, renewable energy cooperatives in Portugal, Spain and Italy are few and represent a very small share of the energy market. This article aims to understand the social, political, economic and cultural factors that affect the development of renewable energy cooperatives in southern Europe, but also the opportunities and benefits cooperatives offer over other energy providers in the energy transition. It is based on a comparative analysis of four case studies of cooperatives in Portugal, Spain and Italy, relying on document analysis, observation and interviews with cooperative representatives, complemented with legal, policy and statistical data for contextualisation.We ascertain that energy policies have favoured large utility companies and concentrated energy generation, while a lack of civic culture of participation and mistrust of cooperatives have also hindered their development. Furthermore, we show how cooperatives have unique features that make them valuable actors in energy systems: promotion of environmental and social values, local embeddedness, flexibility to diversify activities, ability to mobilise networks of similar organisations and fostering democratic governance and participation.

A socio-economic examination of participation in socially innovative energy projects

This paper aims to examine the role of citizen investment in scaling up renewable generation through participating or investing in social innovation in energy. It presents an explorative study demonstrating results of large-scale surveys of the general public across twelve countries (11 European plus the USA), representing the views of over 10,000 individuals. These surveys focus on three types of innovative energy business models, namely: energy cooperatives, crowdfunding and peer-to-peer platforms. In particular, we study the socioeconomic, demographic and attitudinal attributes of self-reported early participants in similar energy organizations, and also separately among those who express an unwillingness to participate in the above business models. The findings suggest that factors such as age, education, gender, risk preferences, previous general investment experience and trust in the carbon saving claims of organizations are important in explaining both self-reported previous and future participation in energy initiatives.

Energy cooperatives and just transition in Southeastern Europe

BackgroundThe energy markets of Southeastern Europe largely depend on fossil fuels. Energy prices are lower in this region than in the rest of Europe, while the energy transition is relatively delayed. This paper aims at summarizing the obstacles to the civic energy transition in Southeastern Europe and the future prospects for its success.ResultsIn Southeastern Europe, there are great concerns about the uncertainty of the energy transition process and its outcomes. There is a lot of apprehensions that the transition could drift away from the citizens and end up in the hands of large-scale solar and wind farms entirely. In other words, citizens may be completely excluded from participating in the energy transition. Renewable energy cooperatives can serve as a crucial vehicle for organizing and engaging citizens in the energy transition. They can also be used as a lever of civic influence. This influence is crucial for ensuring a fair transition. The research methodology on cooperative development includes a literature review and a survey conducted with 240 participants. The participants were local government officials, members of NGOs, businesses, scholars, and citizens. The paper summarizes the answers to the questions which the authors considered essential for deepening our understanding of citizens’ attitudes on a (just) energy transition. The results show that the public awareness about the energy transition has increased. In addition, participants have demonstrated a willingness to take action, both as individuals and through cooperative efforts. However, they have also shown a great level of mistrust in the government, mainly due to perceived corruption and lack of transparency. Generally speaking, they have doubts that the energy transition can be completed in a fair and timely manner within their national context.ConclusionsThis paper provides insight into the current state of affairs and the prospects for the energy transition based on the attitudes of the citizens in Southeastern Europe. The paper argues that energy cooperatives should be employed as a training ground for the citizens, since, through joint actions, their trust in each other can be regained, rehearsed, and restored.

Negotiating Dutch citizen-led district heating projects: Managing internal, external, and material networks to achieve successful implementation

Community energy can be conceptualized as a social movement, which aims to develop a sustainable, democratic, and localist energy system. Community energy organizations often take the form of cooperatives and strive for a high level of participation at the neighborhood level. Recently, community energy initiatives took on the challenge to develop neighborhood heating projects, which are citizen-led and sustainable. District heating (DH) projects are characterized by costly investments, a substantial overhaul of local infrastructure, and large installations for heat production. Furthermore, specialized technical knowledge is needed for the design of DH-systems.In the Netherlands, we studied four cases where local energy cooperatives developed such citizen-led neighborhood heating projects. Our primary research question is what constitutes a citizen-led or citizen-supported DH-project? We focus on four themes: first, the internal organization of the CH-project; second its outreach to local citizens; third, the role of technical knowledge and technology choices; fourth, the changing role of municipalities in the local energy transition.We developed a theoretical framework that consists of three main networks: the internal network, constituted by the local energy initiative itself and its surrounding neighborhood; the external network, which is comprised of local and regional governments as well as private companies; and the material network, referring to technological and physical aspects.In the discussion, we situate our findings against a broader European background. We conclude that a democratic structure, transparency of decision making, and a high level of activities to involve the neighborhood are key success factors. Nevertheless, the development of a community DH-project is a time-consuming process that takes a high toll on the participants. We observed that the remunicipalization trend is emerging in the Netherlands. Regarding technology choices, we found that the DH-initiatives became quite knowledgeable on technical issues and stimulated the application of new technologies such as small-scale aquathermal energy. However, in some cases the choice for a low-cost solution led to concessions to the sustainability of the proposed solutions.

The Role of Local Government in the Bottom-Up Energy Transformation of Poland on the Example of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship

This article focuses on the role of local government in energy transition. The aim of this article is to answer the question of whether local government authorities undertake actions aimed at the energy transformation of the region. This article is based on both literature studies and independent research. The empirical research was carried out in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, located in Southwestern Poland. This region was chosen because it experienced the negative effects of economic transformation (liquidation of the Lower Silesian Coal Basin). Two hypotheses (H1 and H2) were adopted in the article. H1 assumes that in Polish conditions, bottom-up energy transformation requires the involvement of local authorities, and they should act as both initiators and shareholders of energy cooperatives. According to H2, local authorities participate in the energy transition to a limited extent. According to the conducted surveys, there has been no investment in wind farms, hydroelectric power plants or biogas plants. Communes are not interested in large, capital-intensive investments, limiting themselves to local actions with a small spatial range and small economic significance, although they are aware of the advantages of RES.

Renewable Energy Community’s Barriers and Impact on Centralised Energy Production

Major changes are taking place in the energy sector. In order to achieve climate neutrality, it is crucial to increase energy production from renewable energy sources. One way to accomplish this is to establish energy communities and cooperatives, which require optimal development and expansion solutions. Energy cooperatives are, by definition, community projects whose primary goal is to generate electricity and heat for their own use as well as for sale and distribution. The main reasons for establishing such communities are to reduce costs and the negative impact on the environment, as well as to democratise and decentralise production, reducing reliance on larger producers. This kind of collaborative effort also allows people who lack the necessary funds and knowledge to participate in the production of renewable energy. The goal of energy communities is to use energy produced primarily from renewable energy sources; the easiest way to do this is to use solar panels, but there are also other options. Although the European Union has launched several programmes to increase the number of energy communities, there are several barriers that prevent them from being established. In the conditions where energy communities are connected to largescale energy systems, it is also important to assess how energy communities affect centralised energy production and overall energy efficiency. This study provides a thorough analysis of the barriers to establishing energy communities as well as their impact on centralised energy production and overall energy production efficiency.

GREEN ECONOMY AS THE NEED OF THE TIME AND THE BASIS OF SUCCESSFUL POST-WAR RECONSTRUCTION OF THE COUNTRY

The war in Ukraine has been going on for more than a year, and the damage to the economy, infrastructure, and the environment has been significant and is increasing every day. In parallel with this, Ukraine became a candidate for membership of the European Union and thus determined its future path of development. This means that our state accepts all conditions for the creation of a decarbonized economy in order for the European Union to become climate neutral by 2050. However, the above-mentioned problems create significant obstacles on this path. Therefore, in order to fulfill all the conditions before the European Union and in the future to effectively use resources for the successful recovery of the country, it is necessary to develop the economy in accordance with modern realities. A fairly important aspect of the development of the “green economy” is the annual increase in the use of alternative energy sources, including in the agricultural sector. The state has been working for many years on the creation of acceptable institutional support for the development of renewable energy in Ukraine. A very good example is the energy cooperative in Slavutych, during a power outage, it produced energy and enabled city residents to charge various devices and gadgets. And it showed its efficiency compared to traditional energy sources. Therefore, during the reconstruction of our state, it is necessary to pay enough attention to the creation of an institutional environment for the development of energy cooperatives in communities, because they are able to ensure energy independence and at the same time do not have a negative impact on the environment during energy production. Thanks to the green economy, Ukraine is able to fulfill most of the requirements for the European Union to become its full member. In addition, in order to successfully rebuild our country after the war, it is also necessary to develop a green economy, since we already need innovative methods of building the economy, construction, energy system, restoring the quality of soil, water, air in order to meet the modern needs of the population and fight together with international partners with changes climate.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BUSINESS MODELS OF PROSUMERS WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

The review of current models of renewable energy promoters in Ukraine focuses on consumer groups that use renewable energy sources, new business models and modern approaches to market regulation, which further affect the modernization of infrastructure in accordance with the requirements of the European Union and energy policy. The author analyzes the formation of tariff policy according to each business model and describes the impact of preferential tariffs in the functioning of the models. This article examines the impact of energy cooperatives and community energy communities, what value they bring to the transition to alternative energy sources, and how they can be developed through energy policy and regulatory frameworks. It has been shown that the management of energy cooperatives and communities during peak consumption periods can influence the balancing of the energy system. It has been found that business models of collective consumption in market relations expand the definition of self-consumption in many ways. The Tenant's Electricity business model involves some form of independent consumption of solar energy from photovoltaic installations in apartment buildings. The Private Grid or Microgrid model allows consumers and prosumers to experiment with different energy technologies that simultaneously maximize their own consumption and offer services to grid operators. It also shows a mechanism for covering electricity shortages through collective self-consumption, in which the local grid operator provides careful management of consumer meter data.
 The presented 15 business models of prosumerism allow us to explore the ways in which some models can be advantageous compared to others by avoiding various components in the formation of retail energy prices, and by generating new revenues through flexibility. The possibility of schemes with the ability to "aggregate" the flexibility of consumers and use the flexibility of many small energy systems to meet the large needs of power system operators is identified. Examples of business models for collective consumers that benefit from energy efficiency and decarbonization of other energy sources, such as heat and transport, are presented. The paper also considers possible business models of prosumerism and schemes for the provision of energy services between the owners of renewable generation and the distribution system operator, transmission system operator, and other market participants. It is proposed to solve the problem of expanding prosumerism by conducting a comparative analysis of business models.

Energy budgeting and carbon footprint of different wheat–rice cropping systems in China

Wheat–rice cropping system in China, characterized by smallholder with conventional practice, is energy- and carbon-intensive. Cooperative with scientific practice is a promising practice to increase resource use while reducing environmental impact. However, comprehensive studies of the energy and carbon (C) budgeting of management practices on the actual field-scale production under different production types are lacking. The present research examined the energy and C budgeting of smallholder and cooperative using conventional practice (CP) or scientific practice (SP) at the field scale level in the Yangtze River Plain, China. The SPs and cooperatives exhibited 9.14 % and 6.85 % and 4.68 % and 2.49 % higher grain yields over the corresponding CPs and smallholders, respectively, while maintaining 48.44 % and 28.50 % and 38.81 % and 20.16 % higher net income. Compared to the CPs, the corresponding SPs reduced the total energy input by 10.35 % and 7.88 %, and the energy savings were primarily attributable to reductions in fertilizer, water, and seeds through the use of improved techniques. The total energy input in the cooperatives was 11.53 % and 9.09 % lower than that for the corresponding smallholders due to the mechanistic enhancements and improved operational efficiency. As a result of the increased yields and reduced energy inputs, the SPs and cooperatives ultimately increased energy use efficiency. The high productivity attributed to increased C output in the SPs, which increased C use efficiency and the C sustainability index (CSI) but decreased the C footprint (CF) over the corresponding CPs. The higher productivity and more efficient machinery of cooperatives increased the CSI and reduced the CF compared to the corresponding smallholders. Overall, the SPs coupled with cooperatives were the most energy efficient, C efficient, profitable and productive for wheat–rice cropping systems. In the future, improved fertilization management practices and integration of smallholder farms were effective means for developing sustainable agriculture and promoting environmental safety.

‘Luctor et emergo’, how a community energy initiative survived the changing policy and technology landscape of the Dutch energy system?

As the Dutch policy of public participation in renewable energy projects takes momentum, lessons from Zeeuwind -a successful energy cooperative-can help improve resilience of the emerging energy cooperatives. Our results are based on thirty-five-year data from newspapers, resulting in a database of 584 news articles. We conclude that the Dutch policies for small-scale energy initiatives have not been consistent and alignment of policies between different levels of governance was missing. Despite these challenges, Zeeuwind achieved economic resilience, which was made possible through multiple factors, unique among them are: 1) Zeeuwind’s origin in the environmental NGO at the provincial level, which provided it with the necessary knowledge and network for a strong start. 2) The memberships of municipalities. 3) The focus on the level of the province to site new projects. 4) A contract of ten years with the energy incumbent. 5) The strategic decision to expand the technological portfolio. 6) Expansion of business through new partnerships and joint ventures. For scaling of Dutch energy cooperatives and improving their resilience, we recommend strengthening institutional structures that facilitate local cooperatives to participate in large renewable energy projects by building their organisational capacity via trainings and network building, legitimacy creation from political incumbents, and increased collaboration with energy incumbents.

Fit for social innovation? Policy reflections for EU energy and climate policy making

Abstract Achieving climate-neutrality by mid-century and its intermediary reduction targets for 2030, notably the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 55% by 2030, requires an accelerated transformation of our systems of production and consumption. In essence, such transformations are socio-technical change processes that require a combination of technological and social innovation. While it is widely acknowledged that ambitious climate and energy policies are needed to accelerate such transition processes, research and practise have largely focused on their importance for spurring technological innovation. In this research perspective, we argue that energy and climate policy making should pay more attention to social innovation as much needed additional puzzle piece for successful decarbonisation. Such social innovation is diverse, ranging from renewable energy cooperatives, to participatory incubation and experimentation, and crowdfunding as well as local electricity exchange. Based on a literature review that informed an EU policy dialogue bringing together policy makers, practitioners and researchers and followed up by a workshop with city administrations, twelve practical action points were co-created on how to better consider social innovation in energy and climate policy making in the EU (and beyond). We thereby hope to stimulate a broader discourse on the dual need for social and technological innovation for reaching climate-neutrality.

A cooperative of their own: Gender implications on renewable energy cooperatives in Germany

Renewable energy cooperatives are crucial for local communities to initiate energy transition. With a mixed-methodological approach, this paper analyses the participation of women in renewable energy cooperatives in Germany and reveals the socio-cultural barriers. This study presents an intersectional analysis that integrates gender with other socio-cultural categories and identities within the social context of cooperatives. This study presents the results from a sex ratio analysis of energy cooperatives (N = 388), online interviews (N = 161), and semi-structured interviews (N = 9). Results show that a lack of awareness of opportunities, financial resources, and time for volunteer-based workload and the lack of recognition of social inequalities in the cooperatives hinder women from actively taking part in leadership roles. This study concludes by discussing how contribution to localised renewable energy production reflects differently on genders. It also provides suggestions such as mentorship and diversity programs that would allow more women to take management roles and encourage a more inclusive and fair transition for all.

A New Approach to the Use of Energy from Renewable Sources in Low-Voltage Power Distribution Networks

Currently, in rural networks with a large amount of distributed generation, PV installations are often disconnected due to the excessively high voltage in the network, which often exceeds the limit value, in accordance with the PN-EN 50160 standard. Disconnecting such an installation extends the return on investment costs by preventing the generation of electricity for the owner’s needs and results in the consumption of this energy from the grid. In such a case, the recipient has to bear the costs related to the purchase of this energy. In order to solve the problem of excessively high voltage in a low-voltage distribution network with a large amount of distributed generation, the authors of this article proposed a new approach to the use of electricity from these sources. In order to present the benefits of the proposed solution, a computer simulation was used. In order to carry it out, a mathematical model of a low-voltage power grid with distributed generation was developed using the electric multipole method and Newton’s method, which is discussed in the paper. To determine the advantages of the proposed solution, nine variants of the operation of an exemplary low-voltage power grid over one day were analyzed. The main conclusion based on the analysis of the results is that the proposed approach improves the operation of the power system by maintaining the voltage values within the standard range for the entire tested part of the network. In addition, the proposed approach does not increase the power or electricity when generating electricity from a PV installation. The proposed solution can also serve as a very attractive stimulus for the creation of energy cooperatives.

Literature review in the field of solidarity economy (SE) and energy cooperatives

The article is a review of existing research on the concept of a solidarity economy (SE) and the role of cooperation in this area. The authors analyze various aspects of the SE, such as equity, sustainability, resource allocation, social inclusion and environmental sustainability. The paper emphasizes the relevance of the study of solidarity economy and cooperation in the context of modern challenges. The authors draw attention to the fact that the SE is focused on meeting social needs, unlike the traditional economy, which is focused on profit and cost reduction. The authors point out that the solidarity economy does not require a complete replacement of existing economic forms, but is complementary and compatible with existing market relations. Various methods were used in the research process, including the analysis of scientific literature and international practices, as well as the study of data and statistics. The authors analyze and compare various studies and approaches related to the SE and cooperation. The main conclusions of the article emphasize the importance of a solidarity economy and cooperation in creating a fair, sustainable and socially inclusive society. The authors note that a solidary economy and cooperation can contribute to an equal distribution of resources, promote environmental sustainability and innovative practices. The article provides valuable information for researchers, economists and practitioners interested in solidarity economy and cooperation. The results of the study and the proposed approaches can be used to develop policies and programs aimed at developing a SE and improving socio-economic conditions. The role of energy cooperatives in the sustainable development and decentralization of energy systems is considered.

Renewable Energy Communities as Modes of Collective Prosumership: A Multi-Disciplinary Assessment Part II—Case Study

Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) have been defined as modes of collective prosumership under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II). We evaluate the benefits offered by RECs and the barriers and enablers impacting their uptake. Germany is taken as a case study for a novel multi-disciplinary assessment of a potential REC intended as a climate-neutral, mixed-use district. We found that energy cooperatives may not be suited to form RECs, but the future may see an uptake of innovative organizational structures such as the Consumer Stock Ownership Plan. It has been shown that a high degree of prosumership can provide technical and economic benefits with maximum greenhouse gas savings of 35% and a maximum self-consumption share of 61% compared to no prosumership. The REC has a negative Net Present Value (NPV) after 25 years of operation and lacks financial attractiveness. A positive NPV is only possible by using the cost savings from prosumership to recoup the investments faster. RECs are a promising mode of citizen participation in the energy transition; however, for their application in Germany, together with the currently missing regulatory allowance of sharing energy between small-scale parties over a public grid, dedicated subsidies, one-time grants or price support for operators are needed.

Improvement of Operating Efficiency of Energy Cooperatives with the Use of “Crypto-Coin Mining”

Poland remains the most coal-dependent economy in the EU. To minimize that problem, which is particularly clear and dangerous in the period of a shortage of fossil fuels, the Polish authorities have decided to establish various institutions, organizational and regulatory solutions. Their role is to support the development of renewable energy sources and local energy communities. The latter are to focus on optimizing the production and consumption of energy in pursuit of energy self-sufficiency on a local scale. One such institution, set up in Poland over the last several years, is the energy cooperative, which is intended to increase the efficient use of the potential of renewable energy sources in rural and urban–rural areas. The authors of this article verify the assumptions, for instance, the number, composition or production and members’ consumption profiles, under which such a relatively new institution has the chance to develop. A novelty in this research paper is that the interests of the entities composing a given energy cooperative may additionally be secured by the use of surplus generation for crypto-coin mining, and thus the storage of energy in virtual currency. A dedicated mathematical model in mixed-integer programming technology was used, enriched with respect to previous research, making it possible for members of the cooperative to achieve energy independence while maximizing self-consumption and using their excess energy for processing cryptocurrency. This is in line with the global trend of “greening”; the processes of acquiring electronic money.