Sustainable Options for CommunIty-bAsed Low-iNcome Renewable enerGy

Introduction

Energy poverty and vulnerability are multidimensional problems that still affect a great number of households in Europe today. Many Member States are still narrowly focusing on (short-term) one-size-fits-all financial reliefs or social tariffs.

Vulnerable Populations as Experts

Additionally, while people in vulnerable situations have long been considered “victims” of the current energy system, they are actually experts on how to improve the system and deliver basic, clean, reliable, and affordable energy services for all.

Project Overview

The SOCIALNRG consortium will develop, test, and validate a novel and fully adaptable approach to be applied in three pilot social housing communities in Slovenia, Italy, and Belgium. The approach will be underpinned by:

1. A participatory co-designing process by vulnerable families for vulnerable families (‘by them, for them’) to create or adapt existing energy communities and tackle their energy vulnerability.
2. Peer exchanging and learning within and between the three pilot projects.
3. The development of recommendations to remove existing policy-level obstacles.

Customizable Blueprints

The approach will be translated into blueprints (for replication) which, though holding a common methodological core, will be entirely customizable to the specific circumstances and will of each vulnerable population and territory.

Empowerment and Community Impact

Through its innate participatory methodology, vulnerable families will become part of the governance and decision-making structure of the neighborhood. They will have the opportunity to not only reduce their energy costs but also to intervene in their collective destiny, which will have an impact on their empowerment and sense of community.

Capacity Building Program

To support replication in other contexts and similar receptive cross-sectoral coordination structures elsewhere, a capacity building program (and materials) will also be developed and activated to train local and regional authorities, energy communities, social housing providers, and energy-poor families (among others) in nine other EU countries.