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UP-lifting Communities: Structuring collective Action for Sustainable local Transition and Identifying Regulatory Solutions for adopting frontier technologies and disruptive business models

Project description

A new framework for energy communities

To make the electricity market fit for the future, the Clean Energy Package (CEP) strikes a balance between decisions made at EU, national and local levels. While Member States can choose their own energy mix, it must meet commitments to improve energy efficiency and the take-up of renewables by 2030. The CEP contains two definitions of energy community: Citizen Energy Community and Renewable Energy Community. The EU-funded UP-STAIRS project will provide a common framework for the growth of these energy communities. It aims to facilitate citizen participation in the transition from a consumer market to a ‘prosumer market’, while enabling local authorities to work closely with citizens on this journey through a one-stop shop. The project’s common framework includes business models, relevant policy and regulatory advice, and support for assessing a community’s energy potential.

Objective

The residential sector has a significant role to play in achieving the EUs binding target of 32.5% energy efficiency saving by 2030. Recent EU Directives have advanced definitions for two types of energy communities. A ‘Renewable Energy Community’ and a ‘Citizens Energy Community’. While there are similarities between the two, there are key differences - their structure and ability to participate as a market actor. There is limited available information published in an approachable manner that explains these differences. Thus organising an energy community requires a great deal of expertise. The regular consumer often feels side-lined and unable to participate.
The UP-STAIRS project addresses these issues with a goal to accelerate the growth of energy communities by providing a common framework. UP-STAIRS removes the barriers to citizen participation in the transition from a consumer-market to a ‘prosumer-market’. This transition requires active learning and participation from all stakeholders. The UP-STAIRS Energy Service Framework enables Local Authorities and Citizens to work together through a common structure embodied in a one-stop-shop.
This common structure includes business models and decision support for energy assessment of a community’s energy potential. UP-STAIRS provides a full service information repository on policy and regulatory advice which will give the UP-STAIRS Implementation Champion the confidence to understand the impact that their energy community can make into the market. Community support is through a compendium of energy tutorials on key topics including behaviour change, prosumerism, collective actions and their benefit to consumers, and what it means to become an energy citizen in a sustainable energy community. The UP-STAIRS project consists of 1 RPO, 1 NGO, 1 consultancy organisation, 1 SME, 1 National Energy Authority, 1 Regional Energy Authority, 3 Municipalities/city councils and 1 consumer organisation from 7 member states.

Call for proposal

H2020-LC-SC3-2018-2019-2020

See other projects for this call

Sub call

H2020-LC-SC3-EE-2019

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK - NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK
Net EU contribution
€ 328 095,00
Address
WESTERN ROAD
T12 YN60 Cork
Ireland

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Region
Ireland Southern South-East
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost
€ 328 095,00

Participants (10)