Web platform to promote local energy communities
Proposal
The project arises from the need to achieve the energy objectives of decarbonization set by the European Union, through processes for the creation of energy communities throughout the territory that allow cooperative and equitable access to renewable energy, following the maxim of leaving no one behind.
Objectives
The main objective is to boost the energy transition of the building stock towards decarbonization by promoting the creation of energy communities from an inclusive and supportive perspective.
Approach
The project’s approach is to build a knowledge base for the entire Catalan territory, from metropolitan areas to micro-villages, to uncover the potential for creating energy communities and the advantages they bring at social level -greater cohesion and empowerment-, economic level -lower energy costs- and environmental level -reduction of consumption and decarbonization-. Aware of the danger of the transition taking place on the basis of inequality, the differential premise is the inclusion of the entire built fabric of towns and cities, avoiding that, once again, the most vulnerable sectors are left out of the process precisely in a post-covid19 stage in which, in all likelihood, energy poverty will worsen.
In this sense, the project has 5 specific objectives:
1. From metropolitan areas to micro-villages. Generate a knowledge base that encompasses the entire territory of Catalonia on the potential for creating energy communities.
2. Leave no one behind. Facilitate planning at municipal level for the creation of a local network of energy communities from the perspective of inclusion and solidarity.
3. Oriented to real projects. Provide the technical basis to market entities and companies for the rapid and large-scale implementation of energy community projects.
4. Empower citizens. Encourage and advise on the creation of energy communities through the transmission of key information to citizens.
5. Digitize access to information. Development of an intuitive and user-friendly online platform aimed at citizens and neighbourhood communities, market entities and companies, and the administration.
Results
The online platform comunitatenergetica.cat will be the resulting tool where all the knowledge generated will be accessible and will facilitate communication between key players in the energy transition. Providing, in an agile and intuitive way, the appropriate key indicators for the administration, for market entities and companies and for neighbourhood communities, with a view to public planning, the implementation of large-scale projects, and citizen empowerment.
The first version of the platform was developed within the framework of the Aracoop Programme promoted by the Department of Labour, Social Affairs and Families of the Generalitat de Catalunya and financed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy.
From 2024 the platform became a public platform for energy communities in Catalonia, financed by the Institut Català de l’Energia (ICAEN) of the Generalitat de Catalunya, developing new functionalities.
Autoria
Cíclica [space·community·ecology], Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya (IREC), Dies d’Agost, Electra Caldense i Associació de Micropobles de Catalunya
Promotor/a
Programa Projectes Singulars 2020-21 Institut Català de l’Energia (ICAEN) de la Generalitat de Catalunya
Any projecte
2021-2025
Date
4 de February de 2021
Category
Energy communities, Highlights, Research and innovation, Resources