Energy Community HUB - Developing supporting services for the creation of Energy Communities

Introduction

ENCOM HUB will support the development of Energy Communities (ECs) owned and run by citizens, SMEs, and public authorities in France (FR), Spain (ES), Italy (IT), and Bulgaria (BG). To do so, ENCOM HUB aims at designing, validating, and scaling up EC supporting services (i.e. information/awareness raising/training; participatory process management; techno-economic EC feasibility analysis; legal, administrative & financial assistance) able to accompany the stakeholders throughout the EC development journey.

Objectives

In particular, ENCOM HUB will:

1. Develop a Service HUB Framework
   Develop and apply a “one-stop-shop” service HUB framework for setting up and consolidating territorial citizens and renewable energy community initiatives – located especially in small towns, developing economic areas, and rural settings. Three EC Hubs will be established respectively in FR, IT, and ES, defining a transnational hub model adaptable to different territorial contexts.

2. Test and Validate EC Hub Services
   Test and validate the EC Hub’s services and organizational model through the implementation of 15 pilot EC initiatives located in the regions of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (FR), Emilia-Romagna (IT), Valencia (ES), and in other possible sites such as Île-de-France and Grand Est. These initiatives will involve citizens, SMEs, and public administrations. Some of them will be dedicated to launching brand-new ECs, whereas other initiatives will focus on the consolidation of already established ECs through the development of new related energy services related to energy efficiency.

3. Transfer Best Practices
   Transfer and adapt best practices, services, and strategies between FR, IT, ES, and BG. The partners will create shared EC-supporting knowledge hubs that they will exploit to boost EC development in their national contexts.

4. Advocacy for EC Support
   Advocate for EC support in terms of strategy, regulation, and finance, by collaborating with local, regional, and national policymakers in FR, IT, ES, and BG to improve and fine-tune public authorities’ know-how and policy interventions regarding ECs.