About the Enabler
AESS – Agenzia per l’Energia e lo Sviluppo Sostenibile was established in Modena in 1999 and now brings together over 170 public bodies, mainly from Emilia-Romagna. Its mission is to support local institutions in the energy transition by promoting renewable energy, improving efficiency, reducing consumption, and securing funding for members. AESS also organises awareness campaigns and training initiatives to build capacity.
The agency participates in numerous projects at national and European levels, including the Covenant of Mayors’ Sustainable Energy and Climate Plans. Since 2021, AESS has chaired RENAEL, the Italian network of energy agencies.
More Information
- Location
Modena, Emilia‑Romagna, Italy
- Legal Form
Non‑profit association
- Established in year
1999
- Website
- Activities
Energy Efficiency & ESCO Services: Support for public bodies in improving energy performance, managing energy audits, and implementing EPCs and large‑scale retrofits
Renewable Energy & Energy Communities: Development of renewable‑energy projects and facilitation of local energy communities
Urban Regeneration & Sustainable Mobility: Support for sustainable urban planning, low‑emission mobility, and integrated territorial strategies
Climate Action & Adaptation: Technical assistance for climate‑mitigation and adaptation plans, including EU‑funded investment programmes
Training & Public Awareness: Specialised training, public events, and awareness‑raising activities on sustainable development
- Activities for Citizen-led Renovation Collectives
- Tailored support services to empower citizen-led renovation initiatives.
- Technical guidance
- Financial advice
- Project management to help communities design strategies, access resources, and implement sustainable building renovations.
- The program strengthens local capacities through training, workshops, and ongoing assistance, while fostering dynamic ecosystems for scaling initiatives.
- Knowledge sharing and best practices drive innovation across Europe, enabling replication of successful projects.
CLR collectives supported
Under the Citizen‑Led Renovation initiative, AESS provides tailored support services to empower citizen-led renovation initiatives. These include technical guidance, financial advice, and project management to help communities design strategies, access resources, and implement sustainable building renovations.
The program strengthens local capacities through training, workshops, and ongoing assistance, while fostering dynamic ecosystems for scaling initiatives. Beyond awareness, CLRs aim to deliver effective energy renovations, scaling horizontally through community training and vertically by influencing energy habits.
The collectives receiving support from AESS are:
- Valsamoggia (Renewable Energy Community - REC) - founded in 2024, the community aims to to increase awareness of sustainable energy practices and support local energy production.
- Fidenza2030 (REC) - brings together public institutions and local organisations to promote the collective production and sharing of renewable electricity, primarily through photovoltaic installations on buildings owned by community members.
- Castel Maggiore (REC) - brings together citizens, local actors and potentially public institutions to collectively produce, share and manage renewable electricity, mainly through photovoltaic installations connected within the local grid.
- CER Alto Vicentino (REC) - is a participatory foundation aimed at promoting the energy transition and environmental sustainability, and it currently includes 130 members (municipality, citizens and companies).
Factsheet
Discover how citizen-led renovation in Italy is bringing communities together to drive collective energy upgrades and improve building efficiency.
Click to read the full factsheet and find out how AESS supports local initiatives and works with citizens to turn collaborative renovation projects into concrete action.
Contact
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Sara Picone sara [dot] picone
aessenergy [dot] it (sara[dot]picone[at]aessenergy[dot]it)
Related News
The Citizen-led Renovation initiative took centre stage at the Clean Energy Transition Investment Forum 2026, showcasing how communities across Europe are driving the energy transition through collective renovation efforts.
On 4 December 2025, stakeholders from across Europe gathered online for the “Shaping the future of the Citizen-led renovation” webinar, a CLR event highlighting the progress, challenges, and next steps for citizen-driven building renovation initiatives.
AESS shares how Citizen-led Renovation can empower communities to tackle housing and energy challenges.
Building on the experiences and the knowledge acquired during previous phases, the citizen-led renovation initiative is now scaling-up.