It is halftime for the Co2mmunity project. We now have new and comprehensive stories from all our RENCOPs. The info is made available on our RENCOP page. There you will read about the experiences and approaches of the Co2mmunity project partners in developing a RENCOP.
We have published our first working paper: Co2mmunity WORKING PAPER – Developing a Joint Perspective on Community Energy: Best Practices and Challenges in the Baltic Sea Region
This is a big milestone for the project as for the first time a comprehensive study on the conditions for community energy projects in the Baltic Sea Region is available. A lot of our work in the last 18 months has contributed to this achievement, such as the comprehensive set of case studies and the project database we have developed.
On the 20th of February in the municipality of Ilmajoki in South Ostrobothnia, three Co2mmunity partners came together to host a local solar energy information evening. Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia and Energy Agency of South Ostrobothnia Thermopolis Ltd worked together with other actors to discuss and inform on solar energy. The organizational team was pleasantly surprised as more than 60 citizens, entrepreneurs, and farmers came to hear facts and local experiences on solar energy. This was even more than expected and extra room and chairs needed to be arranged. During the evening, many questions were answered, and lively discussions took place.
The event partially originated from a discussion started by a local entrepreneur, who already runs a solar energy system both at his home and for his company, and he wanted to encourage other locals to buy solar energy systems for themselves. “For me the solar energy system has turned out to be a very reasonable investment, and I wanted to start a process for a common purchase and this way spread the common good”, says Juhana Lähdesmäki, a local entrepreneur.
As a result of the event, all the participants were asked about their interest in buying a solar energy system and whether or not they would like to receive more advice, with 16 participants voicing their interest in an investment. All interested participants will be contacted individually and a follow-up meeting is being organized.
Common Purchase of Heat Pumps Round 3
If you have an oil furnace, you will get the chance to do something about it, because the 28th of February, the third round of common purchase of heat pumps will start, but this time it will be initiated with an interesting evening about climate, green transition and energy renovations the 27th of February.
If you want to know more about it, you can read about it here: www.middelfart.dk/klimaforskel or contact Mareike Johannsen (Mareike.Johannsen@middelfart.dk)
On the 25th February, energiebürger.sh holds a Workshop in Rendsburg. The participants will get insights into how the district has become active so far, what climate science predicts and what possible futures of the energy transition in the state of Schleswig-Holstein might look like. Afterwards it is time to discuss in small groups what kind of future is desirable and where the people need to become active to make the change happen.
Find the invitation here and register to get one of the 30 places available until the 15th February.
During March @energikontorSO together with municipalities in Southeast Sweden will arrange a Solar energy tour. Inspirational seminars and guidance for citizens, cooperatives, and property owners will be part of the tour @co2mmunity
A major pillar of EU climate policy has always been the transition to renewable energy. With the proposed recast of the ‘Directive on the promotion of renewable energy sources’ energy communities have come into focus for renewable energy deployment due to their numerous benefits. Energy communities, as far as they are legal entities, are to be supported so that they can compete with larger actors. Also energy self-consumption up to 30 kW of generation capacity is protected by the directive.
The text will now go back to the council for its final adoption. After being adopted there, it goes into force automatically as foreseen in the ‘Ordinary Legislative Procedure’ of the EU. This comes as part of the EU Winterpackage of 2016 that set the new climate protection goals of the EU. In June, the commission, council and parliament had already reached agreement on renewable energy, which has not been achieved in the area of energy efficiency.
Second expert-driven RENCOP meeting held in Lapua, South Ostrobothnia 24th of September 2018 in the premises of Thermopolis Ltd. – Energy Agency of South Ostrobothnia (Lassilantie 12, 62100 Lapua). Ten experts participated to this meeting and represented participants from municipalities, research and development organisations, educational organisations and financers with a link to the citizens. New idea came up for an open citizen-driven RENCOP process, which is to give inspiration and organize events for ordinary villagers in Aisapari Leader area (includes following municipalities: Kauhava, Lappajärvi, Evijärvi, Vimpeli, Alajärvi and Lapua) to promote renewable community energy in the village houses of the area.
Many housing companies in Finland wish to install solar PV systems on their rooftops, as a survey from our partner Aalto University shows. Current legislation requires a major revamp of the metering infrastructure though.
In response, Aalto University organised a breakfast for interested parties to discuss opportunities and barriers for solar PV self-consumption last week. The barriers to energy communities in housing companies made national news and during an interview the Finnish Minister for Climate and Energy promised a solution in the next year. The topic is especially important as Finland has no Feed-in-tariff scheme otherwise supporting solar PV rooftop installations.
Picture: Solar PV rooftop on a housing company appartment building in Helsinki
In week 44, a new round of “Common purchase of heat pumps” will start together with the municipalities from the Energy Alliance Triangle (Kolding, Fredericia, Billund, Vejen, Vejle and Middelfart Municipalities).
The goal of this campaign is to support citizens to change from a fossil fuel based heating solution to a heat pump, and by purchasing heat pumps collectively to reduce the investment cost.
Due to the fact, that this will be the second round of the campaign, we can use what we´ve learned from the first round and improve the process.
For more information contact:
Morten Mejsen Westergaard (morten.westergaard@middelfart.dk)
Mareike Johannsen (Mareike.johannsen@middelfart.dk)
