Description
With the passing of the Clean Energy Package at the European level in Winter 2018/19 and the subsequent transposition in particular of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) and in the Internal Electricity Market Directive (IEMD) into national law, consumer co-ownership in RE – both for individual prosumership and for Energy Communities (ECs) – received a new EU wide legal framework.
Against this background, applying Consumer Stock Ownership Plans (CSOPs), SCORE:
- Facilitated consumers to become prosumers of RE and engage in energy efficiency (EE) measures, firstly in four pilot regions in Italy, Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic, secondly in 31 municipalities across Europe following the pilot projects (Follower Cities).
- Reached out to more than 700 local authorities and 10,000 consumers demonstrating the positive impact co-ownership has on consumer behaviour and showing the ability of this democratic participation model to include underrepresented groups.
- Empowered consumers and municipalities in a capacity-building program with more than 80 events both in the five partner countries and in other EU Members States and through the launch of an interactive online “RE Prosumer Investment Calculator”.
- Delivered policy recommendations to more than 150 EU and local decision makers to promote prosumership and to remove barriers for consumers to become active market players at the EU and national levels.
The SCORE consortium in particular is proud to present five landmark achievements that stand out from the project results:
(1) The first Italian hydro-power EC in Venaus practising electricity sharing over the public grid operative as of 27 December 2021;
(2) The conclusion of an agreement to set up a regional EC in the Susa Valley engaging 31 Municipalities with around 80,000 inhabitants and a total investment of EUR 60 mln.;
(3) The setting up of the Prague Renewable EC on 1 October 2021, one of the largest photovoltaic projects in the Czech Republic with a foreseen capacity of 500 MW and an investment of EUR 40 mln. stemming from an ELENA contract;
(4) One of the first German ECs to practice electricity sharing in 2022 embracing an institution for disabled children, a public school and a sports club;
(5) The development of an “Assisted CSOP” that permits the residents of homeless shelters in Poland to become co-owners in RE.