Empowering Communities, Reducing Emissions: Överkalix’s Vision with FEEL

Energikontor Norr and Överkalix municipality collaborate on an international project. The name of the international project is FEEL – Frugal cities through Energy Efficiency and Low-tech communities – a project focusing on how one can reduce carbon dioxide emissions using strategies where it is only used what is needed through frugal solutions and community engagement for energy efficiency.

Frugality entails economical resource use to prevent waste and excess consumption, encompassing both financial and environmental aspects. In the FEEL project, it is a central concept.

As a partner in the FEEL project, Energikontor Norr has selected Överkalix municipality to collaborate on frugality and sufficiency. The municipality has agreed to include this concept within their energy plan. It will also go on to address supply, distribution, and use of energy-how, localisation of energy production, mapping of energy-intensive operations, new establishments and future plans and projects.

“Överkalix must be a good place to live and of course we want to get involved in a project with this approach to focus on both frugality and engaging the Överkalix residents.”

Niclas Hökfors, mayor in Överkalix.

Among the foreseen activities, Fritidsbanken is a leisure bank and a venture that exists in Överkalix, among many other municipalities in Sweden. It works as a library, but with sports and activity equipment, both always free and all in second hand. The basic principles are that it is open to everyone to borrow what they need.

“By participating in international projects, together with Överkalix municipality, FEEL brings several good ideas back to Norrbotten to contribute to climate neutrality and, speed up the energy transition.“

Isabella Katsimenis, project manager from Energikontor Norr.