From concept to practice: the Morphological Box for Energy Communities
On 16–17 June 2025, the SWEET Lantern team joined researchers and practitioners at the SSH Energy Days in Zurich to explore the future of inter- and transdisciplinary energy research. As part of the micro-workshop programme, Stefanie Müller, Corinne Schwaller, and Ulrike Sturm presented and tested an innovative co-creation tool: the morphological box for energy communities.
As part of the micro-workshop programme, Stefanie Müller, Corinne Schwaller, and Ulrike Sturm presented and tested an innovative co-creation tool in development: the morphological box for energy communities.
Local energy cooperatives
Local energy cooperations are essential for a decentralised renewable energy system. However, even with supportive regulatory frameworks such as ZEV and LEG, their implementation especially in existing neighbourhoods and in the heating sector remains challenging. The SWEET Lantern WP8 team is addressing this by designing a methods toolkit to guide stakeholders through a co-creation process, with the morphological box as one of its central elements.
Our tool
A morphological box is a multidimensional overview matrix that maps possible options or forms of an object, phenomenon, or process in a structured and neutral way. In this project, it is being developed as both an analytical and participatory tool, drawing on inter- and transdisciplinary expertise in social sciences, architecture and urban planning, law, energy systems, and business model innovation.
The target audience includes practitioners, community leaders, policymakers, and energy experts who want to design or strengthen local energy cooperations. During the workshop, participants engaged with the morphological box to build a shared vision for a hypothetical energy cooperation and explore feasible configurations.
Next steps and tool development
The game-based tool is still under development, and the SWEET Lantern WP8 team is actively seeking to improve it with input from practitioners working in the field. This iterative approach ensures that the final version will be practical, user-friendly, and adaptable to real-world contexts, ultimately helping bridge the gap between policy ambitions and community-led action.