Empowering Renewable and Citizen Energy Communities

Duration: 2023 - 2026 ● Client: Co-funded by the European Union (Life) ● WIP Role: Coordination and management, Sustainability, replication and exploitation of project results, stakeholder engagement ● https://power-e-com.eu/

POWER-E-COM aims to foster the cooperation between regional/local authorities and citizens so that community energy projects can be realised in regions in six different countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Ireland, Slovenia, and Spain). These countries were selected because they represent different stages of the transposition of the EU directives that shall facilitate the emergence of energy communities in Europe. The selected countries represent Frontrunners (Ireland), Dynamic movers (Spain), Ambiguous movers (Germany and Austria), and so-called Waverers (Bulgaria and Slovenia). Also, the involvement of citizens in Renewable Energy Communities/Citizens Energy Communities (REC/CEC) shows regional differences among the EU. In some countries (Austria, Germany, Ireland, Spain), the concept is already widely known, while in others (Bulgaria, Slovenia), the concept still needs to be promoted and supported. These will inform our work when preparing the energy community models and support of the regulatory changes needed in the partner countries. Stakeholders who are involved in POWER-E-COM, mainly local and regional authorities and citizen groups, will be trained, mentored, supported and enabled to start, develop, run and grow energy communities, based on adapted and evolving business models. The functioning of the business models will be disseminated and replicated in the project regions and beyond in Europe. The setting-up of the energy communities planned within POWER-E-COM, their sustainability and replication, and the communication and dissemination actions will trigger 21.4 M€ cumulative investment, lead to 9.2 GWh/y primary energy savings, and 37.3 GWh/y RES production during project lifetime. Moreover, 30.700 t CO2/y emissions reduction will be reached by the proposal.