Periodic Reporting for period 1 - POWERPOOR (Empowering Energy Poor Citizens through Joint Energy Initiatives)
Reporting period: 2020-09-01 to 2022-02-28
It is estimated that over 34 million people in the European Union experience energy poverty to various degrees, with the most vulnerable demographic groups being the most affected (Energy Poverty Advisory Hub, 2022). POWERPOOR aims at alleviating energy poverty through joint energy initiatives leveraging innovative financing schemes. The just energy transition notion indicates that no one is to be left behind in the uptake of renewable energy sources. POWERPOOR aims at contributing to the just energy transition and promotes the uptake of renewable energy sources by developing support programmes for energy poor citizens. It provides the tools to municipalities, citizens, and any interested stakeholder to identify whether they are energy poor or are experiencing energy poverty episodes, understand their energy usage and implement behavioural changes to lower their energy expenses or implement small scale energy efficiency interventions and join an existing or set up and operate a joint energy initiative (e.g. energy community or cooperative) providing also instructions on how to leverage innovative financing schemes to find the necessary funds to enhance their energy efficiency or set up an energy community. The project aims at enabling knowledge and experience sharing, bringing forward best practices, while providing the necessary tools and know-how to stakeholders varying from interested individuals to policy makers and municipalities that want to take action in their regions to alleviate energy poverty through the POWERPOOR approach.
The project has run smoothly, despite COVID-19 disruptions. Key project systems and a regular pattern of calls/updates were established to coordinate work. Procedures have been developed/codified, including a quality management plan for high-quality outputs. Deliverables have been submitted on time and to agreed quality standards.
The POWEPROOR Energy Poverty Mitigation toolkit has been developed and is available from April 2021 onwards. The requirements were cocreated with the partners and several iterations took place to make sure that the toolkit is of added value and user-friendly. The Online Trainer Library has been populated with interesting materials early on, aiming at covering a wide variety of information regarding energy poverty, mitigation actions, energy communities and cooperatives and innovative financing schemes. The library is a node of information in the POWEPROOR website. At the same time, the training modules were developed following a co-creative approach as all the partners pitched in with their knowledge and expertise. The modules were curated to be informative and easy to customise to the national conditions. The Modules are also available in the Online Trainer Library. The train the trainers programme and the two internal capacity building workshops enabled knowledge sharing among the consortium partners.
Several trainings have taken place across EU and more than 550 people are certified Energy Supporters and Mentors. The former are performing home visits and the latter are stuffing the established energy poverty alleviation offices or also provide support to energy poor households. More than 50 municipalities have been engaged and 10 of them have established an Energy Poverty Alleviation office. The offices are focal points of information.
15 information days have been organised and more than 550 people attended. The national Stakeholder Liaison Groups have been established and are meeting regularly in the pilot counties, providing feedback and information.
The energy support programmes are being designed and implemented in close collaboration with the network of energy supporters and mentors. Behavioural changes and low-cost no regret energy efficiency interventions are being proposed to energy poor citizens to enable them to lower their energy expenses and consumption along with information on how innovative financing schemes can further enable them to uptake large scale energy efficiency interventions and to set up or join a joint energy initiative to become prosumers.
Communication, dissemination, and exploitation list the distribution of information material and design/update of the project website to the organisation of 2 internal capacity building workshops and participation in various external events; targeted social media presence; design of 3 infographics; 11 publications in the press and 8 press releases; 2 newsletters and 2 news alerts; and 2 special issue publications on energy poverty alleviation.
The POWEPROOR Energy Poverty Mitigation toolkit has been developed and is available from April 2021 onwards. The requirements were cocreated with the partners and several iterations took place to make sure that the toolkit is of added value and user-friendly. The Online Trainer Library has been populated with interesting materials early on, aiming at covering a wide variety of information regarding energy poverty, mitigation actions, energy communities and cooperatives and innovative financing schemes. The library is a node of information in the POWEPROOR website. At the same time, the training modules were developed following a co-creative approach as all the partners pitched in with their knowledge and expertise. The modules were curated to be informative and easy to customise to the national conditions. The Modules are also available in the Online Trainer Library. The train the trainers programme and the two internal capacity building workshops enabled knowledge sharing among the consortium partners.
Several trainings have taken place across EU and more than 550 people are certified Energy Supporters and Mentors. The former are performing home visits and the latter are stuffing the established energy poverty alleviation offices or also provide support to energy poor households. More than 50 municipalities have been engaged and 10 of them have established an Energy Poverty Alleviation office. The offices are focal points of information.
15 information days have been organised and more than 550 people attended. The national Stakeholder Liaison Groups have been established and are meeting regularly in the pilot counties, providing feedback and information.
The energy support programmes are being designed and implemented in close collaboration with the network of energy supporters and mentors. Behavioural changes and low-cost no regret energy efficiency interventions are being proposed to energy poor citizens to enable them to lower their energy expenses and consumption along with information on how innovative financing schemes can further enable them to uptake large scale energy efficiency interventions and to set up or join a joint energy initiative to become prosumers.
Communication, dissemination, and exploitation list the distribution of information material and design/update of the project website to the organisation of 2 internal capacity building workshops and participation in various external events; targeted social media presence; design of 3 infographics; 11 publications in the press and 8 press releases; 2 newsletters and 2 news alerts; and 2 special issue publications on energy poverty alleviation.
The first 18 months of the project 2 Internal Capacity Building Workshops have been implemented, 1 EU wide event co organised with the Covenant of Mayors, 4 joint events with the sister projects, and overall, the POWERPOOR project has been presented in more than 300 communication and dissemination activities that have reached an audience of almost 350,000 people. Regarding the impact in society, POWERPOOR is based on co-creation, transparency, dissemination in non-expert language (with 3 infographics, 2 newsletters, 2 news alerts,11 publications in the press, 8 press releases). The POWERPOOR project has been presented in two scientific conferences.