Informing citizens in Strib, Denmark about Renewable Energy Cooperations

On Sunday, 17th of November 2019, the head of Climate Morten Mejsen Westergaard from the municipality of Middelfart, Denmark was able to inspire about 130 citizens in the city of Strib (close to Middelfart). The inspiration was grounded in success stories about Renewable Energy Cooperations. Besides concrete cases, the attending citizens learned about the process of getting active in the field of community energy with the help of project guidelines. At this point we would like to thank our partner, the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, for leading the process of guidelines which are used in real life now.

Riga Planning Region at the National Energy and Climate Plan 2030 Conference in Latvia

Our partner Riga Planning Region participated in the matchmaking event at the National Energy and Climate Plan 2030 conference in Latvia. The high-profile event, which was organised by the two responsible state ministries – the Ministry of Economics in co-operation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, brought together ministers, state secretaries, their deputies, energy / climate experts, as well as non-governmental organizations of Latvia for the discussion of the final draft of the National Energy and Climate Plan 2030 (NECP 2030), scheduled to be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia on the 17th December 2019.

NECP 2030 is the most important strategic energy and climate policy document in Latvia which details goals, instruments and actions that contribute to the development of a climate neutral national economy.

The goal of the plan is bettering efficient use of resources, their sufficiency and variety, as well as ensuring gradual reduction of the use of resources, especially fossil and unsustainable resources, and transitioning towards sustainable, renewable and innovative resources to help develop a sustainable energy sector and reduce climate change.

Our partner Riga Planning was invited to participate in the matchmaking event held in parallel with the NECP 2030 forum with the purpose to demonstrate the actual on-going projects that are already contributing to the transition towards climate neutrality.

The matchmaking event provided the Riga team an excellent opportunity not only to share experiences of the Co2mmunity project with other invited transnational cooperation projects but also strengthened the existing links to national energy policy makers. Co2mmunity Riga team intends to invite a representative of the Ministry of Economics to join the Co2mmunity “political” meeting in Tallinn in March 2020 to deliver a presentation on NECP 2030.

News from Middelfart

On Thursday, the 14th of November, a workshop for the 20 DK2020 municipalities has been held in Vejle, Denmark. Organizations like Dansk Fjernvarme, Dansk Energi, SEGES and many more joined the workshop.

During the workshop, four different sessions were organized covering the topics of transportation, agriculture, climate adaptation, as well as heating and energy efficiency. In the session regarding heating and energy efficiency, the Municipality of Middelfart had the opportunity to share their experiences with their three RENCOP cases: “Føns Nærvarme”, “Sol over Brenderup” and “Common Purchase of Heat pumps”. To find out more about our Danish RENCOPS, have a look at the “Community Energy Cases”.

Event tip in Rendsburg: Film und Gespräch: „Tomorrow – Die Welt ist voller Lösungen!“

Was, wenn es die Formel gäbe, die Welt zu retten? Was, wenn jeder von uns dazu beitragen könnte? Als die Schauspielerin Mélanie Laurent („Inglourious Basterds“, „Beginners“) und der französische Aktivist Cyril Dion in der Zeitschrift „Nature“ eine Studie lesen, die den wahrscheinlichen Zusammenbruch unserer Zivilisation in den nächsten 40 Jahren voraussagt, wollen sie sich mit diesem Horror-Szenario nicht abfinden. Schnell ist ihnen jedoch klar, dass die bestehenden Ansätze nicht ausreichen, um einen breiten Teil der Bevölkerung zu inspirieren und zum Handeln zu bewegen. Also machen sich die beiden auf den Weg. Sie sprechen mit Expert*innen und besuchen weltweit Projekte und Initiativen, die alternative ökologische, wirtschaftliche und demokratische Ideen verfolgen. Was sie finden, sind Antworten auf die dringendsten Fragen unserer Zeit. Und die Gewissheit, dass es eine andere Geschichte für unsere Zukunft geben kann.

Länge 118 Min., Regie: Mélanie Laurent & Cyril Dion

Anschließend laden wir ein zum Gespräch mit Ralph Hohenschurz-Schmidt, AWR Rendsburg, und Boris Woynowski vom Projekt Crossborder Innovation Challenge über nachhaltige Projekte in unserer Region.

Datum: Donnerstag, 14. November 2019, 19.00 Uhr
Veranstaltungsort: Schauburg-Filmtheater Rendsburg, Schleifmühlenstr. 8., Eintritt: 6 Euro, ermäßigt 4 Euro

Weitere Termine im Rendsburger Klima-Herbst:
26. November 2019, 18 Uhr: Vortagsabend zum Thema: „Erneuerbare Wärme für das Dorf“, mit Wilm Feldt, Energieagentur in der Investitionsstiftung SH, Sebastian Krug, Klimaschutzmanager des Kreises RD, Heiko Hansen und Uwe Carstensen, BürgerGemeindeWerke Breklum eG, ConventGarten Rendsburg, Eintritt frei

Einen Überblick über das Gesamtprogramm erhalten Sie unter: www.energiebuerger.sh

Kontakt:
Doris Lorenz
Energiebürger.SH
c/o Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung SH
Heiligendammer Str. 15
24106 Kiel
0431.90 66-132
0162.137 02 91
lorenz@boell-sh.de
www.energiebuerger.sh

New document: ‘Identified success factors in the process of stakeholder involvement into RENCOPs’

Thanks to the research and efforts from Co2mmunity project partner Green Net Finland, we have compiled a document highlighting the process of stakeholder involvement into RENCOPs; especially with the identification of success factors. The following highlights what Co2mmunity RENCOP coordinators are seeing as the most important factors:

  • Creation of atmosphere of cooperation within the partnership.
  • Finding clear focus and defining objective of the partnership. 
  • Forming clear, convincing and recommending message toward targeted communities.
  • Existing interest towards renewables of active persons within community.
  • Capability of active persons to convince passive members of the community and to lead a process of decision-making towards consensus on investments into renewable energy.
  • Good flow of information across the partnership.

Two RENCOP Meetings held in Mārupe Municipality in Latvia

In September, the Riga Planning Region, a Co2mmunity partner, worked in cooperation with the associated project partner Mārupe municipality. Together they organised and hosted two RENCOP meetings where energy experts and local citizens were brought together to discuss opportunities for more intensive use of renewable energy solutions and the further development of the community energy pilot project in Mārupe.

As part of the Co2mmunity activities in Latvia, a citizen-driven community energy pilot project is currently being implemented in Mārupe that involves active participation of inhabitants. The local household community has decided to implement a small-scale community energy project that provides the installation of rooftop solar panels. The project team, municipal experts, and external consultants guide the citizens and provide expertise, including advice on technical solutions.

In addition, the project team has recently contracted local energy experts to elaborate a research study to allow for the evaluation of the technical, financial, and legal potentials or frameworks for the initiation and implementation of community energy projects in Latvia. It is expected that the results of this research will contribute to the development of regional RENCOP roadmap. This roadmap will be used in demonstrating ways on how to establish and develop community energy partnerships in practice. Another purpose of the study is to prepare for the dialogue with national energy efficiency policy holders – the Ministry of Economics – as part of the elaboration of policy recommendations.

Next RENCOP meeting in Latvia is scheduled for November 2019 when the preliminary results of researchers become available.

 

Researchers’ Night

On Friday, September 27, KielRegion hosted the so-called “Lange Nacht der Wissenschaft” (Researchers’ Night). It was part of the European Researchers’ Night which takes place every year in over 300 cities in more than 25 countries at the same time. Until late into the night, research results were presented in many different participatory experiments, lectures, workshops, games and other activities. Co2mmunity members worked with attendees in Eckernförde assembing and distributing 50 miniature wooden windmills and informing them about renewable community energy.