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.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energy
- social sciencespolitical sciencespolitical policiescivil societynongovernmental organizations
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementbusiness models
- social scienceseducational sciencespedagogyactive learning
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
CSA - Coordination and support actionCoordinator
T12 YN60 Cork
Ireland