Workshop Energy Communities

14.00 Energy Communities: a driving force for the energy transition

Putting citizens at the centre of the energy transition is no longer an empty slogan: Thousands of Energy Communities across Europe are already demonstrating how collective action can accelerate the deployment of renewables, increase acceptance, and deliver local benefits. This session offers insights into enabling policies, support programmes, innovative financing, the interaction with grids and the use of digital innovation for Energy Communities.
 

• EU policies on Energy Communities
  Katharina Hartmann, European Commission, DG Energy
   
• Energy Communities are here to stay!
  Christiane Egger, OÖ Energiesparverband, Austria
   
• Highlights and lessons from EU-funded Energy Community projects
  Talía Brun Marcen, European Commission, CINEA
   
• Unlocking finance for energy communities
  Felix Kriedemann, REScoop.eu
   
• Interacting with DSOs
  Harald Proidl, e-control, Austria
   
• Blockchain for Energy Communities
  Francisco Puente, ESCAN, Spain

Beyond Theory: Success stories from Energy Communities across Europe

This session presents successful real-world examples from different countries, showcasing how energy sharing and other related community-based approaches are implemented on the ground. Speakers will highlight key success factors, common challenges, and practical lessons learned that can support replication and scaling in other regions and contribute to long-term success of community action.

• The "Weekend Energy Community"
  Vlasta Krmelj, ENERGAP, Slovenia
   
• Pioneering Energy Communities in Emilia-Romagna and the key role of energy agencies
  Marco Costa, AESS, Italy
   
• First green Energy Community in Romania
  Olimpia Nicolae, Coaliția Energie Comunitară, Romania
   
• Five remote villages – one Energy Community
  Savvas Vlachos, Cyprus Energy Agency, Cyprus
   
• Energy in the hands of the community
  Gerd Liebig, EEG Enns, Austria
   
• Innovative financing of island Energy Communities
  Alexis Lozano, Consejo Insular de la Energía de Gran Canaria, Spain
   
• Integrating electricity, heat production and renovation
  Etienne Viénot, Auvergne Rhône Alpes Energie Environment, France
   
• Energy sharing in social housing – social responsibility meets community energy
  Benjamin Wilkin, Energie Commune, Belgium
   
• Bulgaria’s Energy Communities in Gabrovo, Burgas and Sofia
  Diana Paunova-Galeva, Sofia Energy Agency, Bulgaria
   
• Energy Communities as a new market force in Greece
  Chris Vrettos, Electra Energy, Greece
  ​​​​​​​

19.00 Conference dinner

The workshop is held in the context of the ManagEnergy Initiative and the LIFE Project Power-E-com com and in cooperation with FEDARENE.