This thesis examines the conditions under which collective energy can be implemented on Dutch SME business parks. In the current Dutch context of rapid electrification, persistent grid congestion and heightened geopolitical and energy market instability, many SMEs face growing concerns about the security and reliability of their energy supply. Collective energy arrangements are increasingly explored as a way to improve access, flexibility and future proofing, yet their feasibility depends on the interplay of multiple factors. This study aims to link collective energy governance with SME behaviour in the setting of Dutch business parks. An exploratory qualitative methodology is employed, analysing eight business park cases and expert interviews through a multi-dimensional framework applied across governance scales. The findings show that collective energy for Dutch SME business parks is predominantly an electricity challenge. The most relevant collective arrangements are those that reorganise electricity supply and grid access, although individual solutions must also be considered. Their feasibility is shaped by the interaction of firm-level motivations, park-level organisation and cohesion and enabling or constraining institutional frameworks.
Commercial and operational drivers, including cost advantages, price stability, business continuity and congestion-related growth limitations, most strongly motivate participation. Necessary conditions for implementation arise in both the political and the social organisational domains: an enabling regulatory framework and applicable contract forms, together with trust, willingness to cooperate and the presence of a coordinating actor, are critical. Barriers persist where commercial risks, regulatory uncertainty, limited organisational capacity or weak collaboration culture undermine collective action.
The thesis demonstrates that collective energy on Dutch SME business parks is not a single technical solution but a multi-dimensional, multi-scale process shaped by the alignment of SME-level incentives, organisational business park dynamics and political-institutional conditions. Ensuring this alignment is essential for translating collective ambitions into feasible and durable energy arrangements.