Advancing renewable energy communities in Europe: Affordable energy. Local ownership. Resilience.

Registrations open: COME RES Final Conference + European Renewable Energies Federation (EREF) New Year’s Reception + Dinner

After 30 months of intense work, the Horizon 2020 project COME RES will end on 28 February 2023. 16 partners from nine countries analysed barriers, drivers, potentials, good practice examples, business models and transfer possibilities as well as policy development with the ultimate goal to facilitate the development of renewable energy communities in the electricity sector and beyond. The consortium has produced a considerable number of deliverables and is looking forward to share key results of the project at this event, its final conference.

The conference will be held in collaboration with the European Renewable Energies Federation (EREF) New Year’s reception and dinner.

About the Conference

Citizens in Europe and elsewhere are facing unprecedented energy prices. Many are struggling to make ends meet while a significant number of energy market players are making record windfall profits on the backs of end-consumers. Governments, at different levels, are facing multiple crises by implementing short-term measures to reduce energy costs for households and SMEs. While these are necessary, they do only provide temporary relief and are not suitable for the long run. In particular, to move away from fossil fuels, it is necessary to focus on a new energy model, based on renewables, storage, and smart grids in which consumers take an active role in the energy system. This model is sustainable not only environmentally, but also economically and socially.

Talking about Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) nowadays is an extremely topical subject. Now, more than ever, it has become clear that a local, decentralized approach to generating and consuming energy is essential for creating a resilient, secure, and low-cost energy supply in the interest of Europe’s citizens. Through local ownership, collective self-consumption, and energy sharing, renewable energy communities are proving to be effective in reducing people’s energy costs while also increasing acceptance of renewable energy infrastructure. They can significantly contribute to hedging Europe’s citizens against the volatility of the energy market. 

Join in at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Brussels for this one-day conference where participants will discuss how renewable energy communities are contributing to making a sustainable and socially-just energy system reality. Hear from stakeholders across many Member States who have been implementing such solutions and are discussing the enhancement of enabling frameworks as part of the COME RES stakeholder desks. The project will present its findings around concrete best practices, and business finance models and will share its final policy recommendations on how renewable energy communities should be supported in the future. 

The day will close with an invitation to join the EREF New Year’s Reception + complimentary dinner. This reception is hosted by the European Renewable Energy Federation and is one of the key events of the European renewable energy sector, setting out the main agenda and activities for the coming year.

Event details

The event will take place on the 31st of January 2023, in the Museum of Natural Sciences on 29 Rue Vautier in Brussels.

To find out more about the day, read the draft programme.

Participation & registration

All energy community stakeholders, professionals, and academics as well as policy-makers and politicians are welcome to attend! Please register here to save your spot!

This event promotion was originally published on the COME RES website.