Periodic Reporting for period 2 - GREENFOOT (GReen power and Energy Efficiency iNvestments community-Financed for fOOTball buildings)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-03-01 bis 2024-05-31
The central goal of GREENFOOT is to support and foster the transition to a low-carbon energy system by packaging individual participation and financing of the energy transition in the fun, friendly, and well-known context that is European professional football.
To accomplish this goal, GREENFOOT will develop and implement a community-based financing scheme for renovating stadiums, practice facilities, and related buildings (e.g. team headquarters, fitness centres) with energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RES) measures.
The GREENFOOT concept is to finance sports building EE renovations and RES installations with crowdfunding schemes that propel Europeans to become active participants in the energy transition through their love of sports and their favourite teams. GREENFOOT markets creative investment packages and associated financial contracts that entice sports fans and community members to invest in the energy transition, and allow for easy replication of the GREENFOOT concept through contract/marketing templates.
The GREENFOOT concept applies to sports-related buildings of all types and beyond and will be demonstrated on four participating football buildings during the project runtime from major international football clubs (French Federation, Ireland Assoc., Azerbaijan Assoc. and MALMÖ FF).
The GREENFOOT project maintains a hat trick of overall objectives, referred to as “goals”:
GOAL I is to increase active citizen participation in the EU energy transition through creative investment options that involve citizens with their favourite sports teams.
GOAL II is to improve access to financing that owners and operators of sports buildings have available to fund EE renovations and the installation of RES.
GOAL III is to contribute a substantial reduction in fossil-fuel based energy use and related greenhouse gas emissions in sports buildings by reducing their energy use and increasing their renewable production.
To accomplish this goal, GREENFOOT will develop and implement a community-based financing scheme for renovating stadiums, practice facilities, and related buildings (e.g. team headquarters, fitness centres) with energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RES) measures.
The GREENFOOT concept is to finance sports building EE renovations and RES installations with crowdfunding schemes that propel Europeans to become active participants in the energy transition through their love of sports and their favourite teams. GREENFOOT markets creative investment packages and associated financial contracts that entice sports fans and community members to invest in the energy transition, and allow for easy replication of the GREENFOOT concept through contract/marketing templates.
The GREENFOOT concept applies to sports-related buildings of all types and beyond and will be demonstrated on four participating football buildings during the project runtime from major international football clubs (French Federation, Ireland Assoc., Azerbaijan Assoc. and MALMÖ FF).
The GREENFOOT project maintains a hat trick of overall objectives, referred to as “goals”:
GOAL I is to increase active citizen participation in the EU energy transition through creative investment options that involve citizens with their favourite sports teams.
GOAL II is to improve access to financing that owners and operators of sports buildings have available to fund EE renovations and the installation of RES.
GOAL III is to contribute a substantial reduction in fossil-fuel based energy use and related greenhouse gas emissions in sports buildings by reducing their energy use and increasing their renewable production.
The GREENFOOT project has made significant progress in analysing how community engagement, particularly through crowdfunding, can drive energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) investments in football-related buildings across Europe. By integrating sustainability into sports facilities, the project aimed to develop approaches that improve the environmental performance of these buildings while actively involving fans and local communities.
The project focused on several key areas. One of the main focuses was the technical assessment and implementation planning for the demonstration sites in Ireland, Azerbaijan, France and Sweden. Detailed energy audits and feasibility studies were carried out for these sites to identify the most effective measures, such as the installation of LED lighting, photovoltaic (PV) panels and electric vehicle (EV) charging points. The assessments provided clear insights into the environmental and economic benefits of these measures, demonstrating their potential to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, while also providing a positive financial return.
In addition to the technical work, the project placed a strong emphasis on understanding the financial and social dynamics required for successful community-based investments. A comprehensive market analysis was conducted to explore the attitudes of football clubs, fans and community members towards crowdfunding energy projects. This included surveys and interviews with over 3,500 citizens across the participating countries, providing valuable insights into the factors that drive participation in such campaigns. The research revealed a strong interest in sustainability initiatives, with the majority of respondents indicating a willingness to invest in projects that offer clear environmental and social benefits. These findings were instrumental in shaping the design of targeted crowdfunding models specifically tailored to the sports sector.
The project also produced a set of guidelines and best practices to support the replication of its findings in other sports facilities across Europe. These resources include a comprehensive 'GREENPRINT' guide that summarises the project's research, technical assessments and recommendations. The guide covers topics ranging from regulatory considerations for crowdfunding in the European context to practical strategies for engaging stakeholders and designing effective campaigns.
In the area of dissemination and stakeholder engagement, the project successfully organised workshops, webinars and targeted outreach activities to promote the GREENFOOT model. These events brought together key stakeholders from the football industry, the energy sector and crowdfunding platforms, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange. The project's communication efforts have ensured wide visibility of its achievements and generated interest from other potential adopters across Europe.
The project focused on several key areas. One of the main focuses was the technical assessment and implementation planning for the demonstration sites in Ireland, Azerbaijan, France and Sweden. Detailed energy audits and feasibility studies were carried out for these sites to identify the most effective measures, such as the installation of LED lighting, photovoltaic (PV) panels and electric vehicle (EV) charging points. The assessments provided clear insights into the environmental and economic benefits of these measures, demonstrating their potential to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, while also providing a positive financial return.
In addition to the technical work, the project placed a strong emphasis on understanding the financial and social dynamics required for successful community-based investments. A comprehensive market analysis was conducted to explore the attitudes of football clubs, fans and community members towards crowdfunding energy projects. This included surveys and interviews with over 3,500 citizens across the participating countries, providing valuable insights into the factors that drive participation in such campaigns. The research revealed a strong interest in sustainability initiatives, with the majority of respondents indicating a willingness to invest in projects that offer clear environmental and social benefits. These findings were instrumental in shaping the design of targeted crowdfunding models specifically tailored to the sports sector.
The project also produced a set of guidelines and best practices to support the replication of its findings in other sports facilities across Europe. These resources include a comprehensive 'GREENPRINT' guide that summarises the project's research, technical assessments and recommendations. The guide covers topics ranging from regulatory considerations for crowdfunding in the European context to practical strategies for engaging stakeholders and designing effective campaigns.
In the area of dissemination and stakeholder engagement, the project successfully organised workshops, webinars and targeted outreach activities to promote the GREENFOOT model. These events brought together key stakeholders from the football industry, the energy sector and crowdfunding platforms, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange. The project's communication efforts have ensured wide visibility of its achievements and generated interest from other potential adopters across Europe.
The GREENFOOT project has made significant advances beyond the state of the art by comprehensively evaluating community-based financing models in the traditionally separate fields of energy efficiency (EE), renewable energy (RE) and sports infrastructure. By focusing on football buildings - a highly visible and culturally significant sector - the project has explored new ways of engaging citizens in sustainable energy investment. By focusing on football facilities, the project specifically explored the strong emotional ties between clubs and their fans, creating new opportunities for financing sustainable upgrades.
Technical advances were also made in the integration of energy efficient technologies specific to sports buildings. This included comprehensive feasibility studies that identified tailored solutions such as LED lighting upgrades, photovoltaic installations and the deployment of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. These measures were selected not only for their energy-saving potential, but also for their adaptability to the specific needs of sports facilities, where usage patterns are often irregular and energy demands fluctuate greatly.
The project's focus on football buildings is particularly significant in terms of social impact. Football clubs are deeply rooted in local communities, making them ideal vehicles for promoting environmental awareness and action. By linking energy efficiency projects to widely recognised and celebrated institutions such as football clubs, GREENFOOT emphasised the potential to drive wider societal behaviour change as fans and community members become more aware and engaged in environmental issues.
The project's dissemination efforts focused on sharing best practice, technical guidelines and financial models that could be easily replicated.
In addition, the project's work contributes to broader European goals related to energy transition and decarbonisation. Engaging local communities through crowdfunding also strengthens social cohesion, as citizens become actively involved in projects that benefit both their local environment and their communities.
Technical advances were also made in the integration of energy efficient technologies specific to sports buildings. This included comprehensive feasibility studies that identified tailored solutions such as LED lighting upgrades, photovoltaic installations and the deployment of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. These measures were selected not only for their energy-saving potential, but also for their adaptability to the specific needs of sports facilities, where usage patterns are often irregular and energy demands fluctuate greatly.
The project's focus on football buildings is particularly significant in terms of social impact. Football clubs are deeply rooted in local communities, making them ideal vehicles for promoting environmental awareness and action. By linking energy efficiency projects to widely recognised and celebrated institutions such as football clubs, GREENFOOT emphasised the potential to drive wider societal behaviour change as fans and community members become more aware and engaged in environmental issues.
The project's dissemination efforts focused on sharing best practice, technical guidelines and financial models that could be easily replicated.
In addition, the project's work contributes to broader European goals related to energy transition and decarbonisation. Engaging local communities through crowdfunding also strengthens social cohesion, as citizens become actively involved in projects that benefit both their local environment and their communities.