ECOEMPOWER is a European project aimed at facilitating the creation and development of energy communities through the establishment of « one-stop shops » in each participating country. These « one-stop shops » serve as physical and virtual centers capable of providing technical, economic, and legal assistance to local authorities and citizen groups interested in implementing renewable energy projects.
The ECOEMPOWER project (ECOsystems EMPOWERing at regional and local scale supporting energy communities) is funded by the European Union with a budget of 1.5 million euros over a period of three years. It falls under the LIFE program, the European Union's funding instrument dedicated to support innovative projects in the fields of environment and climate, specifically within the Clean Energy transition sub-program.
The ECOEMPOWER project was initiated by an Italian partner, the Bruno Kessler Foundation.
Its consortium brings together ten partners from six different countries:
- Italy: Bruno Kessler Foundation (research center and program coordinator), Autonomous Province of Trento (public authority), and University of Trento (research center)
- France: Association des Centrales Villageoises (association) and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Energie Environnement (association)
- Germany: BAUM (company) and eza! (non-profit organization promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency)
- Czech Republic: PSOE (energy community established by the city of Prague)
- Greece: Region of Central Greece (public authority)
- Belgium: UBE (company)
The partners include public/association entities, research centers, and private companies, forming a diverse team committed to establishing and strengthening, on a European scale, « one-stop shops » aimed at supporting citizen-led renewable energy projects.
On the French side, AURA-EE and Centrales Villageoises Association already have experience in the field, as the association is currently serving as a « one-stop shop » at the national level. The project will allow us to share our experience in establishing the Centrales Villageoises model and the services it provides to its energy communities, with the objective of supporting our European partners in establishing their own « one-stop shops ».
Additionally, the association will develop new tools and services to support both new and existing energy communities, with a particular emphasis on renewable energy sectors that are still underdeveloped within the network (ground photovoltaics, hydroelectricity, possibly wind, and renewable heat). These innovative tools will be tested in three pilot sites of the network (Centrales Villageoises de Vezouze en Piemont, Centrales Villageoises Eau et Soleil du Lac et Centrales Villageoises VercorSoleiL) with the aim of replicating them in other energy communities and territories.
Other core themes will be addressed in the project, such as energy savings and citizen mobilization, as well as the social impact of the local projects.
The project officially started on September 1st 2023 and will last until August 31, 2026.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions are however those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.