From Energy Cultures to Local Action: Applying the LoCEL-H2 Socio-Technical Model through Officine dell’Energia
From Energy Cultures to Local Action: Applying the LoCEL-H2 Socio-Technical Model through Officine dell’Energia
Community engagement lies at the heart of the LoCEL-H2 project. As a Horizon Europe initiative developing a low-cost, circular, plug-and-play renewable microgrid integrating advanced lead-battery storage and green hydrogen production, LoCEL-H2 recognises that technology alone is not enough. For sustainable impact in off-grid communities, energy solutions must be aligned with local socio-cultural dynamics, everyday energy practices, and community priorities.
To achieve this, we apply a framework grounded in the study of energy cultures and energy practices. This socio-technical approach allows us to move beyond purely technical performance indicators and instead understand how households produce, consume, share, and value energy. By examining material infrastructures, social norms, and behavioural routines together, we ensure that our battery-electrolyser and peer-to-peer prosumer microgrid systems are embedded in real contexts rather than imposed from outside.
Following this same methodology, the social impact team at the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II (University of Naples Federico II) is now extending the LoCEL-H2 model to a new initiative: “Officine dell’Energia.” Developed within the “Institutional Communication Planning” course, this prestigious collaboration with ENEA brings socio-technical research into an educational and territorial dimension.
Activities will take place both at the university and on-site at the Fondazione Alario in the Cilento area. Here, UNINA students will apply the exact investigative model used in LoCEL-H2 to analyse local energy cultures, stakeholder perceptions, and territorial dynamics. Their objective is to design an institutional communication strategy that is inclusive, evidence-based, and deeply rooted in the community’s lived experience.
The upcoming local meetings on March 14–15 will feature energyLab seminar activities and the official presentation of the Officine dell’Energia project, with the active participation of ENEA. These sessions will provide a practical opportunity to test how socio-technical analysis can inform communication strategies that support energy transition processes at the local level.
Through initiatives such as this, LoCEL-H2 demonstrates that community engagement is not an auxiliary activity, but a core scientific and strategic pillar. By integrating engineering innovation with social research and institutional communication, we strengthen the pathway from technological development to meaningful, long-term impact.
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