Setting up a Community Energy One-Stop-Shop: Energy Communities Repository webinar

On the 3rd of October, the European Commission’s Energy Communities Repository (ECR) hosted an informative webinar focused on the establishment of community energy one-stop-shops. This event served as a sneak peek into the upcoming guidance document titled “Setting up Community Energy One-Stop-Shops” which will be released by the Energy Communities Repository in October 2023. The document itself is the result of valuable insights gathered from established one-stop-shops across EU countries, a thorough analysis of relevant literature, and the valuable lessons learned from dedicated projects within this field.

The target audience for both the webinar and the upcoming guidance document includes a wide spectrum of entities interested in setting up community energy one-stop-shops. This encompasses local and regional authorities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), associations, and other stakeholders committed to supporting energy communities in their journey by offering assistance and valuable resources.

The webinar featured three distinguished speakers, each hailing from well-established one-stop-shops. They provided attendees with firsthand experiences and a comprehensive overview from three distinct levels: national, regional, and local.

• Ivanka Pandelieva-Dimova, from Asenovgrad, a Bulgarian city pilot in the H2020 UP-STAIRS project, shared insights into the local perspective.
• Cesar Valmaseda from the Fundación Asturiana de la Energía (FAEN) offered a regional viewpoint
• Ruth Buggie from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) brought the national perspective to the forefront.

The interactive session allowed attendees to engage with experts, pose questions, and share thoughts on the topic. The speakers delved into how their one-stop-shops were established, the challenges they encountered, and the strategies they employed to overcome them. Additionally, they shed light on the array of services offered to energy communities and provided valuable tips for those interested in embarking on the journey of setting up a community energy one-stop-shop.

For those who missed the webinar, the materials and recording of the session are available at the following link.

Upcoming events and documents

The Energy Communities Repository has lined up several upcoming documents and events that offer further insights into the world of energy communities:

Upcoming Documents:

1. Guidance Document: One-stop-shops (October)
2. Energy Sharing (December)

Upcoming Events:

• October 24: Build a business case for your energy community
• End November: Legislative frameworks for energy communities in the EU
• December: How to organize a community investment campaign
• Final event on Friday, November 10, 2023, from 09:00 to 18:00 (GMT) in Dublin, Ireland. This joint ECR – RECAH closing conference provides an opportunity to discuss the main outcomes of these initiatives with energy community practitioners and to facilitate exchange with fellow communities and other subject matter experts.