Webinar on Energy Communities and EU Policy Updates Recap

The "CLR Webinar on Energy Communities and EU Policy Updates" brought together experts and stakeholders to discuss the latest developments in European energy policies and the role of energy communities in achieving sustainability goals. The event featured insightful presentations and discussions on integrating citizen-led renovation initiatives within the broader EU climate and energy strategies.

The webinar began with an introduction by Stavros Spyridakos (CLR), who emphasised the importance of European policy updates on energy communities. Julien Tami, a Policy Officer from the European Commission, highlighted the Citizen Innovation Initiative and its phases, emphasising the importance of energy communities in driving energy efficiency and sustainability. 

Sofia-Natalia Boemi, Senior Fair Transition & EU Policy Expert at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), followed up by providing an overview of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) and its revisions, focusing on the Energy Efficiency First Principle (EE1st) and its implications for energy communities. 

Clemens Mayer (CLR) explained the legal framework for energy communities under the Electricity Market Directive and the Renewable Energy Directive, underscoring the role of citizens and renewable energy communities.

Dimitrios Athanasiou, Senior Energy Expert, highlighted key elements of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and its impact on decarbonising the building stock by 2050, emphasising how energy communities can drive building renovations.

Stavros Spyridakos then discussed the role of Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) in supporting energy communities, highlighting financial models and the benefits of ESCOs in energy efficiency projects while showcasing a specific example of a community ESCO in Hungary. Javier Avendaño presented a case study on an ESCO project in Mexico, demonstrating the practical application and benefits of ESCOs in energy efficiency.

Tommaso Ferrucci, EnGreen, the ESCO company assisting the CLR Phase II pilot—REC of Postua and Guardabosone (Italy), shared insights from a renewable energy community project in Italy, discussing the challenges and strategies for implementing energy communities in rural areas. 

The panel discussion, moderated by Jan Bormans (CLR), focused on the future of citizen-led renovation initiatives and integrating energy communities into EU policies. Drawing on the outcomes of CLR Phase I, the discussion highlighted both the institutional and financial autonomy of energy communities while addressing the challenges they face in scaling their impact. Key points included the need to develop further the regulatory frameworks for energy communities in EU Member states, creating more comprehensive models that go beyond electricity and include broader segments of the society, the importance of building on existing national structures in the building sector, the need for dedicated financial support mechanisms, the importance of trust and community engagement, and the potential for energy communities to contribute to the EU's climate goals. The panel underscored the importance of developing hybrid models that integrate both CLR and ESCO approaches, leveraging the professionalism and guarantees of ESCOs while maintaining the cooperative, community-driven nature of CLR initiatives. While energy communities are an essential starting point, other entry points, such as housing associations that eventually become energy communities, may also be investigated.

The webinar underscored the critical role of energy communities in achieving the EU's energy efficiency and sustainability targets. It explored synergies between Citizen-Led Renovation (CLR) and Energy Service Companies (ESCOs), examining whether these models should be seen as complementary or potentially competing approaches in achieving renovation goals. Moreover, it highlighted the need for supportive policies, financial mechanisms, and community engagement to ensure the success of energy communities and citizen-led renovation initiatives.