Energy communities (ECs) serve as an important link in equitable and accelerated energy transitions. They can help install renewable energy assets and implement energy efficiency measures, but they can also play a vital role in increasing citizen engagement in the energy transition. ECs are by their essence a multiple value-driven concept and can provide social, environmental and economic benefits to the community, such as social cohesion, a contribution to alleviating energy poverty, resilience, and bringing investment back to the local community. This requires collaboration with partners and support from local governments.
But when is an energy community/cooperative profitable? What are the conditions for constructive and sustainable cooperation? Is the motivation of citizens to participate in an energy community purely financial? These are some of the questions that will be addressed in the Tandems project. Furthermore, the project aims to develop an open cooperation model aimed at new and innovative partnerships between cities/regions and energy cooperatives. This will involve developing a wide range of replicable models and trainings, initiating community energy projects and supporting citizen initiatives to participate in projects aimed at generating renewable energy.
This project (Tandems) is part of the European LIFE program and brings together three European regions with different starting blocks and speeds, different cultural backgrounds and circumstances, but working towards the same goal: the empowerment and facilitation of citizens to participate in the transition to renewable energy. We are working for in Tandems with the following partners: Kamp C, AGEM, City of Mechelen, Klimaan, ZuidtrAnt, Eneffect, municipality of Gabrovo, municipality of Burgas and Oikoplus.