Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SHAREs (Simple and Smart Energy Communities for All)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-03-01 bis 2024-08-31
The SHAREs project addresses a growing divide in the energy sector, where the shift towards renewable energy risks creating a two-speed world: individuals with the knowledge and resources to become prosumers, and those who lack access, information, or support to benefit from sustainable energy options. Without targeted assistance, many citizens risk exclusion from this transition, limiting societal progress toward sustainability.
Energy communities allow citizens to directly participate in the green energy transition by generating renewable energy, sharing resources, and improving efficiency. For societies striving to meet climate goals, energy communities provide a solution to decentralise energy production and improve community resilience. This inclusivity fosters socio-economic benefits, reduces carbon emissions, and strengthens local economies.
SHAREs aimed to equip local heroes (e.g. public authorities, organisations, individuals) with resources to establish or grow energy communities. Through tailored, country-specific Gateways that serve as accessible one-stop-shops, SHAREs supports a variety of collective actions—from cooperatives to demand response initiatives—helping to empower citizens and reduce the knowledge gap in renewable energy adoption. By project conclusion, SHAREs had not only achieved these goals but had exceeded initial targets, significantly expanding its pilot projects and ensuring greater access to tools and knowledge for future community growth.
Energy communities allow citizens to directly participate in the green energy transition by generating renewable energy, sharing resources, and improving efficiency. For societies striving to meet climate goals, energy communities provide a solution to decentralise energy production and improve community resilience. This inclusivity fosters socio-economic benefits, reduces carbon emissions, and strengthens local economies.
SHAREs aimed to equip local heroes (e.g. public authorities, organisations, individuals) with resources to establish or grow energy communities. Through tailored, country-specific Gateways that serve as accessible one-stop-shops, SHAREs supports a variety of collective actions—from cooperatives to demand response initiatives—helping to empower citizens and reduce the knowledge gap in renewable energy adoption. By project conclusion, SHAREs had not only achieved these goals but had exceeded initial targets, significantly expanding its pilot projects and ensuring greater access to tools and knowledge for future community growth.
In the initial project phase, SHAREs laid critical groundwork to support and promote energy communities. Key activities centred on building a robust framework, engaging diverse stakeholders, and creating a scalable, country-customisable Gateway to address the specific needs of local energy communities.
Key achievements in early phases:
- National Framework Analysis: SHAREs began with an in-depth analysis of the legal and regulatory frameworks for energy communities in each partner country (Austria, Germany, Georgia, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Hungary). This analysis produced a foundational overview to identify national barriers, policy enablers, and best practices. This overview became a core resource for policymakers, providing essential insights into establishing, managing, and expanding energy communities across varying regulatory landscapes.
- Stakeholder Network and Pioneer Circle: Six national policy-developer working groups were established to facilitate continuous dialogue with local actors, which was essential for gathering feedback on legal barriers and refining national SHAREs Gateways. SHAREs also created a transnational “Pioneers’ Circle” of experts, expanding it to 16 organisations. Through this network, SHAREs facilitated best-practice exchanges, mentored new pilots, and enabled direct input on developing community initiatives at regional and local levels.
- SHAREs Gateway Development and Launch: The first step in Gateway development involved designing an English blueprint as a modular WordPress template. This blueprint served as a foundation for each national Gateway, integrating essential resources on project design, legal considerations, funding options, and best practices to support local heroes in establishing energy communities. The SHAREs Gateway offers resources like FAQs, a Q&A catalogue, and a “pick-and-mix” communication campaign that equips local heroes with white-label materials for community outreach.
Expanded activities and results in the second phase:
- Extensive Gateway Outreach: The SHAREs Gateways exceeded expectations, with 175,173 unique visitors—far surpassing the target of 4,500. This success demonstrated significant public interest in the project’s resources and validated SHAREs’ user-centric design. Further dissemination efforts included social media, press releases, and newsletters, collectively reaching 21.5 million consumers and exceeding the outreach target for multipliers by achieving a reach of 74,041.
- Pilot Expansion and Customisation: Starting with a target of 20 pilot communities, SHAREs successfully expanded to 38 pilots, adapting the Gateway and mentoring approaches to align with each pilot’s unique national and local conditions. The rollout process was supported by a detailed rollout strategy, covering mentoring, support activities, and continuous feedback integration to refine and localise Gateway resources.
- Capacity Building Through Mentorship and International Exchange: SHAREs prioritised pilot support through hands-on mentorship, study tours, and exchanges with established energy communities. Pioneers from Austria and Germany provided direct mentorship, offering practical knowledge on financial, legal, and operational aspects of energy communities. This mentoring approach was instrumental in Croatia, where SHAREs supported the regulatory groundwork that resulted in a 10-year permit for Croatia’s first renewable energy community. This success underscored SHAREs’ ability to drive regulatory support and foster impactful, long-term community energy initiatives across Europe.
Key achievements in early phases:
- National Framework Analysis: SHAREs began with an in-depth analysis of the legal and regulatory frameworks for energy communities in each partner country (Austria, Germany, Georgia, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Hungary). This analysis produced a foundational overview to identify national barriers, policy enablers, and best practices. This overview became a core resource for policymakers, providing essential insights into establishing, managing, and expanding energy communities across varying regulatory landscapes.
- Stakeholder Network and Pioneer Circle: Six national policy-developer working groups were established to facilitate continuous dialogue with local actors, which was essential for gathering feedback on legal barriers and refining national SHAREs Gateways. SHAREs also created a transnational “Pioneers’ Circle” of experts, expanding it to 16 organisations. Through this network, SHAREs facilitated best-practice exchanges, mentored new pilots, and enabled direct input on developing community initiatives at regional and local levels.
- SHAREs Gateway Development and Launch: The first step in Gateway development involved designing an English blueprint as a modular WordPress template. This blueprint served as a foundation for each national Gateway, integrating essential resources on project design, legal considerations, funding options, and best practices to support local heroes in establishing energy communities. The SHAREs Gateway offers resources like FAQs, a Q&A catalogue, and a “pick-and-mix” communication campaign that equips local heroes with white-label materials for community outreach.
Expanded activities and results in the second phase:
- Extensive Gateway Outreach: The SHAREs Gateways exceeded expectations, with 175,173 unique visitors—far surpassing the target of 4,500. This success demonstrated significant public interest in the project’s resources and validated SHAREs’ user-centric design. Further dissemination efforts included social media, press releases, and newsletters, collectively reaching 21.5 million consumers and exceeding the outreach target for multipliers by achieving a reach of 74,041.
- Pilot Expansion and Customisation: Starting with a target of 20 pilot communities, SHAREs successfully expanded to 38 pilots, adapting the Gateway and mentoring approaches to align with each pilot’s unique national and local conditions. The rollout process was supported by a detailed rollout strategy, covering mentoring, support activities, and continuous feedback integration to refine and localise Gateway resources.
- Capacity Building Through Mentorship and International Exchange: SHAREs prioritised pilot support through hands-on mentorship, study tours, and exchanges with established energy communities. Pioneers from Austria and Germany provided direct mentorship, offering practical knowledge on financial, legal, and operational aspects of energy communities. This mentoring approach was instrumental in Croatia, where SHAREs supported the regulatory groundwork that resulted in a 10-year permit for Croatia’s first renewable energy community. This success underscored SHAREs’ ability to drive regulatory support and foster impactful, long-term community energy initiatives across Europe.
The SHAREs Gateway represents a pioneering, standardised solution that enables EU countries to establish robust one-stop-shops to support energy communities and collective energy actions. As the first template of its kind, the Gateway is a modular WordPress platform featuring a ready-made structure, comprehensive resources, and customisable content that national partners can adapt to local contexts. This innovation directly addresses the needs of emerging energy communities, empowering local heroes by streamlining project setup, outreach, and member engagement processes. SHAREs thus lays the groundwork for EU-wide adoption of accessible community energy models.
SHAREs successfully surpassed its initial targets, engaging a wide audience and fostering the development of numerous pilot projects:
- The project’s extensive outreach efforts reached 21.5 million consumers across partner countries, significantly amplifying public awareness of energy communities. The SHAREs Gateways themselves saw 175,173 visitors, greatly exceeding initial expectations and reflecting broad interest.
- The SHAREs Gateway, initially implemented in six partner countries, has also drawn interest from additional EU states, including Slovakia and Cyprus, showcasing the platform’s potential for broader replication.
- Pilot engagement expanded from the initial 20 to 38 communities, with tailored mentoring, study tours, and stakeholder exchanges facilitating community growth and regulatory support. The Croatian regulator’s 10-year permit for the country’s first renewable energy community demonstrates SHAREs’ capacity to effect substantial regulatory advances.
SHAREs provides critical support for citizens to engage actively in the green transition, fostering inclusivity by reducing knowledge gaps and promoting sustainable energy communities. This empowerment offers socio-economic benefits, such as job creation, cost reductions, and energy resilience within local communities. Beyond partner countries, SHAREs has sparked interest among additional EU regions, encouraging a broader commitment to energy autonomy and community-led renewable projects. This development reflects SHAREs’ wider societal impact in promoting accessible energy solutions, environmental responsibility, and sustainable resource management across Europe.
SHAREs successfully surpassed its initial targets, engaging a wide audience and fostering the development of numerous pilot projects:
- The project’s extensive outreach efforts reached 21.5 million consumers across partner countries, significantly amplifying public awareness of energy communities. The SHAREs Gateways themselves saw 175,173 visitors, greatly exceeding initial expectations and reflecting broad interest.
- The SHAREs Gateway, initially implemented in six partner countries, has also drawn interest from additional EU states, including Slovakia and Cyprus, showcasing the platform’s potential for broader replication.
- Pilot engagement expanded from the initial 20 to 38 communities, with tailored mentoring, study tours, and stakeholder exchanges facilitating community growth and regulatory support. The Croatian regulator’s 10-year permit for the country’s first renewable energy community demonstrates SHAREs’ capacity to effect substantial regulatory advances.
SHAREs provides critical support for citizens to engage actively in the green transition, fostering inclusivity by reducing knowledge gaps and promoting sustainable energy communities. This empowerment offers socio-economic benefits, such as job creation, cost reductions, and energy resilience within local communities. Beyond partner countries, SHAREs has sparked interest among additional EU regions, encouraging a broader commitment to energy autonomy and community-led renewable projects. This development reflects SHAREs’ wider societal impact in promoting accessible energy solutions, environmental responsibility, and sustainable resource management across Europe.