Tag: energy communities

TANDEMS General Assembly in Antwerp: Sharing, Reflecting, and Preparing the Final Chapter

© Sam Glazier Potography, 2025.

From June 10–12, the TANDEMS consortium gathered for its final in-person General Assembly in the Antwerp region, bringing together partners from across Europe to exchange experiences, reflect on progress, and pave the way for the project’s concluding steps. Over three days, the meeting offered a mix of storytelling, knowledge-sharing, policy engagement, and on-site learning—rooted in the vibrant energy communities we’ve been building together.

Day 1: Lessons, Tools, and Stories at Kamp C

The first day at Kamp C in Westerlo focused on internal reflection and cross-work package learning. After a warm welcome and playful introductions, we revisited our collective journey through TANDEMS—highlighting key achievements, reflecting on missed opportunities, and sharing lessons from across WPs 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6.

Participants engaged with storytelling methods and “back-casting” exercises, imagining the legacy of TANDEMS in 2030. Interactive workshops explored business models, collaboration models, and reflexive monitoring—tools that not only shaped our work but are also intended for use beyond the project’s end.

A guided tour of Kamp C’s innovative facilities and an informal dinner in Antwerp rounded off the day, setting the tone for the days ahead.

Beyond energy transition. Ntroduction to the KAMP C Campus by Jet Groen.
© Oikoplus, 2025.

Day 2: Shaping Policy and Sharing Impact at EUSEW

On the second day, the consortium joined forces with sister projects at the EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) in Brussels. Our joint policy session, “Is energy sharing possible?”, brought together five LIFE projects—TANDEMS, Loop, Beckon, CoManage, and ConnectHeat—highlighting how energy communities are building flexible and inclusive systems despite legal and financial hurdles.

In the afternoon, the “Kickstarting a Community Energy Revolution” exchange session deepened dialogue across projects. TANDEMS led a thematic table on energy sharing & policy—one of six rotating topics discussed in a lively world café format.

📎 Read more:
  👉 Energy Sharing: Mission Possible – TANDEMS at EUSEW 2025
  👉 Kickstarting a Community Energy Revolution: Insights from the Energy Communities Forum in Brussels

Maro Saridaki presenting the TANDEMS project at the Life projects‘ sister event in Brussels. © Sam Glazier Potography, 2025.

Day 3: Eye-Opening Practices and Final Steps

The final day took participants to Hove and Mortsel, where ZuidtrAnt offered a guided tour of its heating networks—a practical showcase of sustainable energy in action. Earlier that morning, we held a workshop to prepare Milestone 5: Best Practice TANDEMS, the project’s final and perhaps most important deliverable.

During the session, pilot partners presented their most effective and impactful practices, aiming to identify examples that are replicable, concrete, and outcome-driven. These will form the core of the upcoming Best Practices Collection—a visual, accessible compendium that shines a light on what worked best in TANDEMS, why it worked, and how others can use it too.

📎 Read more:
  👉 From Rooftops to Heat Networks: How ZuidtrAnt Brings Sustainable Energy to Life in Edegem and Mortsel 

TANDEMS Team picture. © Oikoplus, 2025.

Energy Sharing: Mission Possible – TANDEMS at EUSEW 2025

© Oikoplus, 2025

At this year’s EU Sustainable Energy Week – the EU’s flagship event for energy policy – the LIFE TANDEMS project took center stage in a dynamic policy session that explored a critical question: “Energy Sharing: Mission Impossible?”

Alongside our LIFE Sister Projects – BECKON, COMANAGE, ConnectHeat, and LifeLOOP – TANDEMS convened an inspiring panel to tackle the regulatory, social, and political realities facing Europe’s energy communities. The answer that emerged was clear: not only is energy sharing possible, it’s already happening. However, its success hinges on political will, regulatory clarity and inclusive community engagement.

Key Takeaways from the Session

1. Energy Sharing Works – Even Without a Perfect Framework

From Gabrovo in Bulgaria to Copenhagen and Barcelona, local pioneers are building energy communities and implementing energy sharing, even in countries where the regulatory environment is less than ideal. Tanya Hristova, the mayor of Gabrovo, emphasised the importance of trust and political leadership. “People told us this wasn’t possible in Bulgaria – we proved them wrong,” she said. Gabrovo launched its first energy community within two months, with a second following quickly behind.

2. Regulation Must Empower, Not Obstruct

The current policy landscape often hinders more than it helps. Josh Roberts of REScoop.eu observed that many communities thrive despite regulation, rather than because of it. Participants called for streamlined permitting processes, financial guarantees and fairer grid access rules, particularly in cities where, as Erik Hagelskjær from Copenhagen noted, shared electricity between buildings is heavily taxed.

The EU’s new framework for energy sharing is a step in the right direction. According to Achille Hannoset from DG ENER, the upcoming Citizens Energy Package, along with guidance on network tariffs and grid integration, will help to standardise energy sharing across Member States, including for vulnerable households.

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3. Community First, Energy Second

“Before you can build an energy community, you need to build a community,” said multiple speakers. This principle was embodied by Marcel Camps Inglés, the Area Metropolitana de Barcelona representative who engaged with citizens at local markets through La Teulada, a one-stop shop in Catalan meaning ‘the rooftop’, and raised awareness of energy sharing.

Similarly, Claudia Carani from AESS presented a compelling example from San Giuseppe Vesuviano. Building trust within a vulnerable community affected by poverty and organised crime required collaboration with existing social organisations and the provision of practical services, ranging from assistance with energy bills to technical advice. They concluded that engagement must be long-term, hyper-local and grounded in people’s real needs.

4. Inclusion Is a Necessity – Not a Bonus

True transformation must prioritise social justice. The most vulnerable citizens, including single mothers and renters, are often excluded from the benefits of energy communities. Participants strongly called for more targeted financing, public investment in the start-up phase and social conditions for support schemes. Practical solutions are however emerging: Achille Hannoset confirmed that Italy is piloting grant systems that reward energy communities serving vulnerable households. Meanwhile, Lithuania is offering 50% investment subsidies for the first time to projects with strong social criteria.

From Mission Impossible to Mission Inevitable

While the title of our session may have been provocative, it sparked the kind of ambitious yet grounded and inclusive conversation that Europe urgently needs. As TANDEMS and its partners made clear, energy sharing is a social and technical innovation. It can bridge rural and urban energy gaps, stimulate local investment and put people at the heart of the transition. 

To achieve this, we need more than just good ideas. We need action at every level — local, national and European — to dismantle regulatory obstacles, expand citizen access and shift from tokenistic inclusion to shared leadership. Together, we’re proving that community-led energy is not just a vision for the future. It’s already underway – and it’s unstoppable.

Empowering Local Leaders: How Burenwerf is Pioneering Change in Energy Communities

Local leadership can be the driving force behind meaningful change, especially in the journey toward sustainable energy. At Burenwerf, we’re seeing firsthand how empowering community leaders and embracing adaptability are key to achieving energy transition goals.

In the world of energy communities, success is often measured by how well a project can mobilize local talent and adapt to the unexpected. The Burenwerf initiative recently held a reflexive learning session that shined a spotlight on these very principles. By focusing on community-led initiatives and the power of local leaders, they discovered strategies that can ignite a ripple effect of change across entire neighborhoods.

The Power of Local Leadership

One of the standout insights from Burenwerf’s session was the undeniable impact of local leadership. In this community, leaders aren’t just participants—they’re catalysts who inspire their neighbors and spark grassroots movements that drive the energy transition.

“Local leaders have a unique ability to mobilize their communities because they understand the pulse of the people,” said a project team member at Burenwerf. Empowering these individuals with the right skills and resources was a game-changer, creating a multiplier effect where one leader’s actions could inspire many others to join the cause.

By focusing on training and equipping these leaders, Burenwerf has turned them into ambassadors of change, capable of guiding their communities toward sustainable energy solutions. This approach is not just about knowledge transfer—it’s about building a network of inspired individuals who can take ownership of the energy transition.

Flexibility: The Secret Ingredient to Success

As Burenwerf has learned, adaptability is just as important as leadership. The energy landscape is constantly evolving, and a rigid plan can often be a project’s downfall. Instead, Burenwerf’s approach has been to stay agile, ready to pivot and respond to challenges as they arise.

“Flexibility in our planning allows us to course-correct in real time, ensuring we don’t lose momentum even when faced with unexpected obstacles,” explained a member of the Burenwerf team. This mindset has allowed the community to maintain its forward momentum, despite the inevitable bumps along the way.

By being open to new ideas and continuously refining their strategies based on real-time feedback, Burenwerf has built a model that’s both resilient and adaptable. This ability to adjust on the fly has proven to be a crucial factor in keeping the community’s energy goals on track.

Next Steps: Training and Continuous Support for Leaders

Looking ahead, Burenwerf plans to double down on its investment in local leadership. The focus will be on ongoing training and support, ensuring that these leaders have the tools and confidence they need to guide their communities effectively. By doing so, Burenwerf aims to create a blueprint that other energy communities can follow—one that is rooted in grassroots leadership and built on a foundation of adaptability.

The ultimate goal is to empower these leaders to not just follow the energy transition but to lead it, inspiring others and expanding the impact of their initiatives beyond their own communities.

Conclusion: Building Resilient Energy Communities Through Leadership and Adaptability

The lessons from Burenwerf highlight the transformative power of local leaders in driving the energy transition. By fostering an environment that encourages adaptability and resilience, energy communities can navigate obstacles with confidence and continue making strides toward sustainability.

Making Energy Communities More Inclusive: Lessons from AGEM

The energy transition is well underway, and projects like those led by Agem Organisation are committed to involving citizens at every step of the process. However, reaching and motivating a wide audience isn’t always easy—especially when technical details dominate the conversation. In a recent reflexive learning session, Agem shared its strategies on making energy projects more inclusive, ensuring that everyone feels welcome and understood.

Breaking Down Technical Jargon

One of the biggest challenges in energy projects is the complex language often used. Terms like “grid stability,” “photovoltaics,” or “energy balancing” might be second nature to experts, but they can be off-putting and confusing to many people. Agem realized that this barrier prevents potential participants from getting involved and contributing to the discussion.

“It’s not enough for only the technical experts to understand what we’re talking about. We need to speak in everyday language that everyone can relate to,” said a representative from Agem. The team has since made it a priority to translate complex information into simple, relatable terms that resonate with everyone, regardless of their technical background.

More Interaction, Less Lecture

Agem took another crucial step towards making its energy initiatives more inclusive by moving away from traditional presentations in favor of interactive workshops and discussion sessions. “We found that people are much more engaged when they can actively participate rather than just listen,” the team reported.

Workshops that encourage participants to share their own ideas and directly interact with experts have brought a new level of energy to the meetings. These interactive formats are proving to be far more effective at engaging a broader range of people and encouraging diverse perspectives in the project.

Looking Ahead: Inclusivity as a Guiding Principle

The learning session inspired Agem to further refine its communication strategies. The goal is clear: to create an open and welcoming environment where both experienced professionals and newcomers can play an active role in discussions about the energy transition.

Agem plans to implement these lessons in future projects, with a focus on reaching out to all community members, whether they have a technical background or not.

Conclusion: Making Energy Accessible for All

The session with Agem highlighted the importance of making energy initiatives accessible to everyone. Embracing inclusive approaches and clear communication are essential to motivating more citizens to take an active role in their communities’ energy futures. Because only when everyone is involved can we build a truly sustainable and successful energy transition.

Let’s shape the future of energy together—by making it understandable and accessible for all.

TANDEMS sister projects: Breaking barriers, building bridges in LIFE LOOP

At the heart of the LIFE LOOP project lies a vision for a 100% community-led renewable energy transition. Despite the commendable efforts of citizen energy cooperatives and local authorities, many municipalities face significant challenges in prioritizing clean community energy. These challenges are both internal and external, making it difficult to push forward with such essential initiatives. The LIFE LOOP project aims to break these barriers by raising awareness about the benefits of community energy and equipping municipalities with the capacity to initiate new energy projects, especially in regions where the community approach is undervalued.

Pioneering progress: from pilot sites to replication

LIFE LOOP’s pilot sites are located in Crete, Greece; Zagreb, Croatia; and Bistrița, Romania. These sites serve as testing grounds for the project’s initiatives, which will later be replicated in Sardinia, Italy; Gabrovo, Bulgaria (which is also a pilot site in the TANDEMS project); Tulcea, Romania; and Cyprus.

Strategies for success: building capacity, raising awareness, and fostering collaboration

To achieve its objectives, LIFE LOOP combines EU-wide and local activities that involve municipalities, energy cooperatives, citizens, and other stakeholders. The project focuses on building capacity by providing training and resources to local authorities and citizen groups, empowering them to start and manage energy projects. Raising awareness is another critical component, with targeted campaigns designed to highlight the benefits of community energy and the potential for local sustainable energy initiatives. At the heart of the LIFE LOOP project stands the community energy accreditation scheme. This program is designed to bridge the knowledge gap by offering municipalities online training sessions on community energy topics and by allowing them to self-assess their current community energy support. By participating, municipalities gain access to valuable online resources and a networking platform that facilitates effective partnerships between municipalities, energy communities, and citizen-led initiatives.

Driving change: catalyzing collaboration for implementing local energy and climate plans

By putting people at the heart of the clean energy transition, LIFE LOOP aims to catalyze significant change. Successful community energy projects and the collaboration between citizens and local authorities can increase social acceptance of renewable energy projects, boost local economies by keeping money within the community and creating jobs, and enhance energy resilience through energy efficiency and sustainable practices.

Navigating challenges, embracing opportunities

However, the journey is not without challenges. Regulatory barriers, funding constraints, and limited awareness among citizens and authorities can hinder progress. Yet, these challenges also present opportunities. Successful pilot projects can provide evidence to shape supportive policies, while raising awareness can drive citizen interest and participation in energy projects. Expanding successful models to new regions can amplify the project’s impact.

Key lessons learned: collaboration, communication, and inclusivity

Key lessons from LIFE LOOP highlight the importance of collaboration, tailored communication, and inclusive practices. Strong partnerships between diverse stakeholders are essential for the success of community energy projects. Effective outreach strategies must consider regional contexts and specific audience needs, and gender-just approaches enhance the effectiveness and reach of energy initiatives. Local engagement from the outset ensures greater acceptance and sustainability, although working with municipalities requires patience and hands-on activities that demand minimal time from local authority representatives.

Why does it make sense to set up an Energy community?

Colourful pins on a paper by MetsikGarden on Pixabay

As the world becomes more conscious of the ramifications of environmental pollution, the need for a greener and more sustainable energy system has never been more obvious. As a result, communities across the globe have started exploring alternative energy solutions to reduce their carbon footprint while saving costs on energy bills. One practical solution to achieving this is setting up an energy community. An energy community is a group of people, small businesses, and organizations that collaborate to generate, buy, and manage energy from renewable sources. The benefits of setting up an energy community are vast. Here are some reasons why it makes sense to take the initiative.

1. Cost savings

One of the most significant benefits of setting up an energy community is cost savings. By pooling resources, energy consumers can reduce the cost of installing and maintaining renewable energy infrastructure, and this translates to reduced energy costs for its members.

2. Decreased dependence on traditional energy sources

The world’s reliance on fossil fuels for energy generation is rapidly depleting as resources diminish, and the costs associated with conventional energy sources increase. Energy communities enable communities to generate their energy from renewable sources while reducing dependency on traditional energy sources.

3. Economic benefits

Energy communities create new jobs, generate revenue, promote local investment, and keep energy money within the community. Also, energy communities decrease multiple dependencies addressing key resources. This contributes to a location’s long-term attractiveness in the global competition between cities and regions.

4. Strengthened communities

Energy communities require collaboration and the active participation of their members, leading to improved community involvement and unparalleled community development. Some of the best methods for participation start from simply advising citizens. Others start from municipalities that already gain the citizens’ trust. Whatever approach they follow, energy communities result in enhanced knowledge exchange and a more resilient social texture.

In conclusion, setting up an energy community is a smart sustainable solution tackling the challenges of today’s world. It provides numerous benefits, including cost savings, decreased dependence on traditional energy sources and energy providers, environmental benefits, promotes community involvement, and economic benefits. With a collaborative effort and proper planning, energy communities can successfully achieve their sustainability goals. By doing so they lead the path to a decentralised green future.

Picture: Colourful pins on paper by MetsikGarden on Pixabay.

Scaling-up Energy Communities

Energy communities have become a popular concept that has been gaining momentum in recent years. These communities are creating a sustainable future by using renewable energy sources and reducing their dependence on fossil fuels. Scaling up these communities can be challenging, but it is necessary to make a significant impact. In this blog post, we discuss what is necessary to scale up energy communities and some examples of successful scaling.

Funding

To scale up energy communities, funding is essential. Many communities do not have the financial resources to invest in renewable energy sources or hire professionals to manage their systems. Governments and private investors must provide resources to develop and maintain community energy projects. Grants, loans, and other incentives are necessary to help finance these projects. What shall be considered from an energy communities point of view is to be clear about pricing to avoid funding gaps. Such funding gaps result from cheap energy supply or spikes in costs for maintenance necessary for the operation of renewable energy plants.

Public support

Public support is critical to scaling up energy communities. Residents must be aware of the benefits of renewable energy and the importance of reducing carbon emissions. Interviews with TANDEMS partners have shown that public support varies over time. It is not a constant that energy communities could build on. Also, the interviews have shown that citizens are more likely to kick off interaction with energy communities if approached by a representative whom they can identify with. Finally, communities must educate their residents on the benefits and challenges of renewable energy in the long term. When people understand the benefits, they are more likely to support community energy projects in their upscaling.

Technical expertise

Scaling up energy communities requires technical expertise to plan, design and implement renewable energy systems. This can be achieved using external partners or sustainability consultants such as Robin Doet; a company that develops and supervises sustainability projects. Indeed it provides advice on policy and pushes potential policy changes to enable the creation of energy communities. 

Furthermore, training programs build local expertise on how to ensure the sustainability of energy communities. This is exactly why in TANDEMS we implement train-the-trainer workshops.

Conclusion

Scaling up energy communities is essential to achieve a sustainable future. It requires funding, public support, and technical expertise. Examples of successful scaling demonstrate the potential to build such a cleaner and greener future. Day by day there are more people being involved in community-driven energy supply. So long this is true for Northern America and Europe. To facilitate a just energy transition for all, we should not forget about promoting decentralized and non-profit approaches to energy supply in the global South. The vision must be to ensure all future generations can afford and enjoy a cleaner and more sustainable tomorrow.

Picture: Solarstrom by Solarimo auf Pixabay 

The challenges, needs and ideas in regard to citizen engagement.

Report based on interviews conducted by DuneWorks for Work Package 4.

In February and March, Duneworks, the leader of Work Package 4 (WP4) titled ‘Strengthening and supporting citizen initiatives’, conducted interviews with all partners, asking them about the challenges, needs and ideas regarding citizen engagement in EC (Energy Communities). The article below is a summary of those results, giving the insight into the work of TANDEMS, but also an overview of what upcoming or existing EC’s should consider.

What are the challenges?

Due to the current geo-political circumstances the energy market and therefore everyone’s energy situation is very uncertain. Introducing the concept of a shared renewable energy model, no matter how beneficial to the community, can be met with apprehension laced with scepticism or even resistance. Many citizens feel safety when faced with familiarity. Therefore even though big energy companies raise prices in an often uncontrolled manner, causing more financial damage, citizens give them more support. After all, they have been primary energy providers for generations. Conversely energy communities are models, which in the legislative and financial world are novel. They often lack legislative frameworks or comprehensible business strategies. This, as assessed by partners, causes potential members to see more precariousness rather than stability.

Another important aspect is diversity. Energy transition touches everyone, but in a different way. On top of that each community consists of a huge variety of people from all kinds of backgrounds. When setting up an energy community, the needs of  each member have to be clarified, understood and agreed on. This, as asserted by the interviewees, can be demanding. Therefore the process of ‘putting the foot in’ is a big challenge. That’s because it opens up the question: How can we gain trust?

What are the needs?

Through deliberation the partners realized that engaging so-called ambassadors they can develop trust in energy communities. These are citizens, who are embedded in a certain community, but work closely with the EC’s and mediate any communication. These ambassadors are crucial. That’s because the levels of engagement of citizens can differ depending on the extent of involvement they want to have. Some members can choose to be more passive and have less responsibilities. Others want to take a more active role. In any case there always need to be representatives, who can act as main organisers, which keeps the EC well functioning.

Other identified needs included: improving the quality of meetings to less technical and finding the optimal time for all attendees. Also setting up tailored models of collaboration that work for everyone. Finally widening accessibility to a much wide-ranging group of people, including vulnerable households.

What are the needs?

Through the interviews the WP4 leader, Duneworks managed to compile some ideas, which can make citizen engagement more effective. One of the most prominent ones is the introduction of ambassadors, who understand the needs of their fellow residents. With the help of EC’s as well as municipalities, support citizens throughout each step, easing transition fear. The ambassador keeps close contact with the residents. Their tasks include holding internal meetings and collecting information about doubts, capabilities, time availability and so on.

Another important idea was the assertion of transparency. TANDEMS partners agreed that the EC’s as well as the municipality involved should provide full transparency about participation trajectory meaning. Citizens must have full understanding of the extent to which they can participate, what participation involves or how adjustable the whole process is. It is also important to involve citizens in the process at an early stage, already, during ideation and planning. It also helps when the communication is much more focused per target group, in terms of comprehensibility, but also recognition of what is being asked, what involvement is needed and what this practically means for the target group(s). 

Developing from this point WP4 leaders found out that citizen engagement can be improved by introducing a more appealing narrative, where citizens are able to attend meetings which apart from technicalities also show other examples of EC’s, their journeys and even precedents from other countries.

Through identifying the challenges and needs of citizen engagement, the partners, regardless of their location, pinned down the above ideas as most important in citizen engagement. The implementation of them, however requires a development of a coherent plan that introduces methods and instruments, which is what the TANDEMS consortium continues to work on.

TANDEMS Pilot Project: BioZon by AGEM

An interview with Justin Pagden from AGEM introducing the TANDEMS pilot.

Hello, please introduce yourself and AGEM. What have you been working on?

My name is Justin Pagden. I’m a business developer at Agem. Our company comprises of a team of professional energy enthusiasts. Together, we develop and provide services for energy communities and municipalities in the Achterhoek region of the Netherlands. Agem helps households and businesses to use energy in an efficient, sustainable and local manner. This ultimately results in lower (social) costs.

We have been working specifically with energy communities. Agem enables them to consume their own collectively produces energy at a cost price. We call this the cost price model.

How and why did you choose the location of your pilot?

We have been working on the cost price model for the municipalities for over 5 years now. We were eager to also implement this model in the context of a citizen energy community.

The first pilot, where we introduced the cost price model was the energy community of BioZon, Zelhem. This citizen energy community collectively owns and operates a small electric generator running on biogas from an old landfill. The energy was sold in a PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) to the municipality at a fixed price for a 5 year contract. The citizens that had invested in the installation received a reasonable return on investment.

The installation was producing more electricity than expected and agreed in the PPA contract with the municipality, so when energy prices soared, the question arose if it was possible to allocate this surplus of electricity to the citizens directly at a cost price. This would benefit the citizens immensely on their energy bill.

So we set out together to investigate the possibilities.

What models of collaboration do you use (how do you collaborate with the municipality and other actors? How do you share the work load? Who is responsible for what?)

Eight municipalities in Achterhoek initiated the funding of Agem in 2013. The municipalities created a cooperative company of which they were the shareholders and invested start up capital so the company could develop and provide products and services to accelerate the energy transition. In the last ten years, this has led, among many other things, to the development of up to 15 citizen energy communities in the region. BioZon in Zelhem being one of them. These energy communities have also taken a share in the Agem Cooperative, and therefore have become co-owners of the company.

Therefore, you could say that the main collaboration model is through co-ownership. Agem is the professional organization that provides the services to it’s shareholders, being the energy communities and the municipalities. They provide the governance, done by aldermen from the municipalities or citizens volunteering as board members of an energy community. 

What were and are the main challenges that you are facing when implementing this pilot?

We had all the pieces of the puzzle necessary to make the first cost price model available for citizens. Now all we had to do was to organize them in such a way that it would create the picture we had in mind. This involved getting all the different partners on the same page so that everyone could play their part. This took a considerable amount of deliberation and eventually trust to move forward. But in the end we were able to move fast and went live on the 1st of January 2023.

Everything worked as planned on the administrative end and the data was coming in perfectly, showing clearly the benefits of the cost price model, as apposed to the market model. Ironically, the engine broke down and had to be fixed which took several weeks. This forced us back to the energy market which shows clearly in the data and energy price paid by the consumers. Thankfully everything is up and running again and the energy community members can ones again profit from their own electricity at a cost price.

What feedback do you receive from citizens and how do you communicate with citizens about this pilot?

The Energy Experts at Agem work very closely on the project with the board members of BioZon. All the communications to the community members is coordinated or co-created with the board members of BioZon. We have used presentations at member meetings, video explainers and of course webpages and emails. Also, a new contract had te be signed by the members that wanted to participate.

The feedback from the members has been overwhelmingly positive. This is mainly because the communication has been clear, the members did not have to do much themselves and of course, because they benefit from the new situation.

What is next for this pilot?

When the PPA with the municipality has ended there will be more electricity available. The cost price model can then be expanded to include more citizens from the region. Also, the energy community of BioZon wants to invest in solar panels on the old landfill (hence the name BioSun).

For Agem, this pilot is a proof of concept, and shows clearly that the cost price model for citizens is possible. As happens in industry, the first prototype model is not made the same way as the large scare production model. That is also the case for this pilot.

The next step is to scale up and expand the model to other energy communities that also want to benefit from this model. As we write this we are working hard with our partners to be ready for this next phase of the implementation of the cost price model.

Secrets of Energy Sharing

Bild von Anemone123 auf Pixabay

Considering the recent energy crisis and rising energy prices, the topic of affordable energy has become more prevalent than ever. Companies, governments, and individuals explore actions to reduce energy consumption. They took up the challenge of driving the energy transition, and the search for alternative sources of energy could comprise. Although the media presents a well-rounded and balanced debate, still too little space is given to energy communities (EC) and the role of governments and policies in enabling the creation of ECs in Europe.  

Why are community-led projects important? 

Within the complex and nowadays uncertain world of energy production concepts such as citizen-led, collective, or equal citizen participation can sound intimidating and daunting. Considering that the process of normalizing energy communities is still quite new, these reactions are understandable. This paper, by students from business management and environmental studies, shines a light on the concept of energy communities, which are based on a collaboration between citizens, governments, and businesses for a clean energy transition. Even though these initiatives are not so popularized, they are, as pointed out by Sara Giovanni from Energy Cities a European learning community for future-proof cities, making a great contribution to fight climate change. 

In fact, currently, the speed of climate change is accelerating so fast that, according to Elmqvist et al., we must ready ourselves to enter an age of unprecedented transformative solutions, where confusion and vagueness is avoided. Energy communities, with their participatory and transparent information exchange, give power to the people themselves. This leads to, as stated by Feinberg et al, community resilience and better adaptability to socio-ecological issues. 

What are some of the current challenges?

Prominent issues within the process of promotion of energy communities are first the lack of easy access to information, which means a need for an active search, which is difficult without having any prior knowledge. Another problem, as pointed out by Wahlund and Palm from Lund University, is the bias towards a decentralized energy model and an underrepresentation of energy communities within the mainstream media. What follows, as presented by the results of this study from two Universities in the Netherlands, is the lack of trust of the wider public towards EC’s and thus an indifference towards taking an active role in the energy transition. 

Additionally, as claimed by Feinberg et al, energy communities require social cohesion, trust, and clear communication, which can sometimes prove difficult in a globalised world. With masses of people continuously changing their place of living, cooperative action must have better organisation, more proactivity, and increased attentiveness. Knowledge exchange and knowledge distribution, as believed by John S. Edwards from Aston University in Birmingham, are also factors that urgently need development. The way information circulated among communities, as maintained by William King in his Ph.D research at Coventry University, should take into consideration theoretical frameworks, type of language used, and more approachable glossary, which can inspire citizen science.  

What are some of the existing enabling frameworks? 

On the brighter side, however, for those who already have sprouts of interest in EC’s there are various sources including this repository from European Federation for Agencies and Regions for Energy and Environment. The repository aims to give an insight into not only the examples but also various publications and updates related to Energy Communities. Another, more general example of an informative database is the Projects for Public Spaces website, which brings together a wide array of community-led projects from all over the world.  

Furthermore, considering the participative aspect of ECs, members of energy communities themselves are actors, who hold the biggest levers of change. Citizens with an in-depth understanding of the circumstances of their networks and neighbors are often involved in energy community projects already. This has resulted, as presented by this research paper from the University of Bologna, in quite a large number of attempts being made in order to create EC’s and improve communication between them. Many studies, like this one, have also been conducted in order to analyse new methods of knowledge sharing within the energy industry and changes, which can be made to adjust the sector to 21st-century standards. 

Although energy transition is a well-established and urgent matter, it is still in many aspects in its early stages. This is why projects like TANDEMS focuses on establishing methods of mainstreaming this niche market and focuses on increasing the speed with which current traditional and centralized energy systems are transformed into a community-led, collaborative effort.  

Picture by Anemone123 on Pixabay.