A growing energy justice literature underlines that complex energy injustices in energy transition disproportionally affect vulnerable and energy-poor households. Literature and policies discuss renewable energy communities’ (RECs) potential to enable citizen participation in energy transition and shape a just transition. Low-income and energy-poor households could benefit from granting access to affordable energy tariffs and energy efficiency measures when participating in RECs. Recent EU legislation highlights RECs’ social role in energy poverty alleviation and stipulates the participation of all social groups in RECs, especially those groups that are underrepresented under RECs’ members. In this light, the energy justice framework is increasingly applied to analyse RECs’ social contributions in different countries. Still, empirical evidence of RECs’ capacity to include underrepresented and vulnerable groups and mitigate energy poverty as a particular form of energy justice remains scarce. Drawing on data collected among 71 European RECs, our exploratory research investigates how RECs engage in this social role by improving participatory procedures to enable vulnerable groups’ participation and by distributing affordable energy and energy efficiency to vulnerable households. Using the energy justice framework, we explore how RECs resonate with the three energy justice tenets (distributive, recognitional and procedural) by addressing underrepresented groups and energy poverty.

越来越多的能源正义文献强调，能源转型中复杂的能源不公平对脆弱和能源匮乏的家庭产生了不成比例的影响。文献和政策讨论了可再生能源社区 (REC) 使公民参与能源转型和塑造公正转型的潜力。在参与 REC 时，低收入和能源匮乏的家庭可以从获得负担得起的能源关税和能源效率措施中受益。最近的欧盟立法强调了 RECs 在减轻能源贫困方面的社会作用，并规定了所有社会团体参与 RECs，尤其是那些在 RECs 成员中代表性不足的群体。有鉴于此，能源正义框架越来越多地应用于分析不同国家 REC 的社会贡献。仍然，RECs 能够将代表性不足和弱势群体包括在内并减轻能源贫困作为一种特殊形式的能源正义的经验证据仍然很少。利用在 71 个欧洲 REC 中收集的数据，我们的探索性研究调查了 REC 如何通过改进参与程序使弱势群体参与以及向弱势家庭分配负担得起的能源和能源效率来发挥这一社会作用。使用能源正义框架，我们探讨了 REC 如何通过解决代表性不足的群体和能源贫困与三个能源正义原则（分配、认可和程序）产生共鸣。利用在 71 个欧洲 REC 中收集的数据，我们的探索性研究调查了 REC 如何通过改进参与程序使弱势群体参与以及向弱势家庭分配负担得起的能源和能源效率来发挥这一社会作用。使用能源正义框架，我们探讨了 REC 如何通过解决代表性不足的群体和能源贫困与三个能源正义原则（分配、认可和程序）产生共鸣。利用在 71 个欧洲 REC 中收集的数据，我们的探索性研究调查了 REC 如何通过改进参与程序使弱势群体参与以及向弱势家庭分配负担得起的能源和能源效率来发挥这一社会作用。使用能源正义框架，我们探讨了 REC 如何通过解决代表性不足的群体和能源贫困与三个能源正义原则（分配、认可和程序）产生共鸣。