In order to foster dissemination and uptake, 6 specific workshops were organized by the consortium under the supervision of REScoop.eu. The goal of those workshops was to present the toolkit and to open the discussion and way for adoption with local citizen initiatives.
In each country, we worked with a local partner in order to know what the more efficient solution to would be present and to get people to join our workshops. We relied heavily on the knowledge and network of the local partner in order to reach out to local citizens initiatives “under-the-radar”.
Regarding the challenge of building capacities and skills in the field of energy issues, we reached 178.818 people with this objective and satisfactory increased their skills, capability and competences.
Regarding the energy savings achieved by rescoop members we reached 29.3 GWh/year among these three years.
Several good results are to be referred:
• We see that there are many different energy-saving measures and activities undertaken by the supplying REScoops (WP2 and WP3 catalogue activities).
• With statistical analysis, we have demonstrated clear savings from citizens after they become members of a REScoop (i.e. EBO: up to 20%; ENERCOOP: up to 15%; SOM ENERGIA: up to 31%)
• Half of the interviewed members of REScoops claim they have reduced their energy consumption since they joined a REScoop. Of those who are aware of their energy consumption (11% of the respondents) 40% indicate to have saved at least 10% energy over 2015-2016.
• The longer respondents indicate to be REScoop members the more they engage in energy savings actions, and the more they save energy (at least since becoming a REScoop member).
• Respondents indicate to engage more in RES investing after becoming a REScoop member.
• The longer respondents are REScoop members the more willing they become to invest in RES.
Legal and Advocacy Research
REScoop PLUS ran in parallel with the legislative process linked to the production of the Clean Energy Package. Therefore, the project had the opportunity to work around several questions coming through the production of the energy efficiency, the electricity market and the renewables directives.
The project had the opportunity to produce several reports analysing the legislative environment at the European level, and in 5 member-states. The results of those reports allowed us to produce strong guidance for policy makers and cooperative leaders relating to the current state of the legislations in those 5 countries relating to the deployment of efficiency services, and the potential evolutions following the publication of the Clean Energy Package.
Dissemination and Communication
Throughout the project REScoop PLUS our approach was to have the maximum impact at the local level, encouraging energy saving, behaviour changes, and the growth of the cooperative movement. The evolution and growth of the community energy movement in European and neighbouring countries, will results in a more efficient, fairer and cleaner energy system overall. Specifically, we showed through the REScoop PLUS project, that collective action is more efficient, more engaging and more sustainable for citizens.
