In Granada stakeholders meet for the 3rd time to share ideas

More than 30 experts on Renewable Energy Communities attended the Third Regional Stakeholders Meeting “Local Initiatives to Promote Energy Communities” last 14th of June 2024, in Granada, Andalusia, under the “VII Meeting of Public Organizations and Energy Agencies: For a proactive energy transition”

The Regional Stakeholder Group, created by the Andalusian Energy Agency, partner of the REC4EU project, hosted some experts such as:

• Natalia Márquez García, Managing Director of the Andalusian Energy Agency and Vice President of EnerAgen,
• Iñigo Ansola Kareaga, General Director of the Basque Energy Agency and President of EnerAgen,
• Antonio Díaz Sánchez Deputy for European Funds, Development, Industry and Employment of the Provincial Council of Granada.

The workshop on Local Initiatives to Promote Energy Communities was moderated by Luisa F. Martín, Director of the Provincial Energy Agency of Avila, and count on with the presentation  of Joaquin Villar, Head of the Internationalisation, Innovation and Singular Projects of the Andalusian Energy Agency concerning “Challenges and opportunities for energy communities in Spain”.

The first session was focused on the Public Initiatives for the Promotion of Energy Communities; Community Transformation Offices, OTC, debating the state of progress and main challenges on successful initiatives in Barcelona, Valencia and 5 OTC from Andalusia at Andalusian level, in Granada, in Malaga and Great Vega de Sevilla, Rural Dipalme in Almeria. 

The Second Session consisted on 4 Four parallel working sessions:

1) Social Area of the Energy Communities.
Moderator: Elena of the Technical Moral of the Social Office of Energy Communities OTC OSCE-Granada
In the social field, main solutions provided by the participating experts,  focus on working on: 

• Diagnosis of the situation: mayor knowledge of the environment and people
• More proactive participation of members of the renewable energy communities.
• Importance of facilitator as person or groups supporting the REC.
• Strengthening the power of the collective

2) Innovation in Energy Communities rural and urban protected areas.
Moderator: Gonzalo Esteban Provincial Energy Office of Granada
Currently 95% of municipalities currently have shared self-consumption projects. Some of the new technologies in Energy Communities where there exist experience in Spain are related to Mixed biomass projects with heat and solar, Sustainable mobility projects, District heating with biomass, Shared self-consumption with network management, Energy storage, Monetization of energy through energy flexibility services, Virtual environments, Photovoltaic tiles, paths and walkable sites with photovoltaic. In short, there are many new technologies that would be applicable to special protection environments.
Regulations with more favourable specific conditions applicable to energy communities beyond shared self-consumption. Specific training for public workers would be needed.

3) Long Term Energy communities sustainability and viability 
Moderator: Rosario Alcantarilla, Head of Community Energy at the School of Social Economy OTC ENREDCOOP
After discussing the barriers, some shared solutions within this area concerns: 

• In the public sphere: strategic lines of aid, not only for renewable energy projects, but also prior to the constitution of the REC and also supporting actions.
• In the private sphere: There are already both energy trading cooperatives and energy networks that make REC more viable, as well as the so-called second-degree cooperatives (Son Comunitats, or Som Energía in Catalonia).

Image

AEA

4) Legal linking of Municipal Participation.
Moderator: Joaquín Villar, Head of the Department of Internationalization, Innovation and Unique Projects.
Concerning analysed barriers, following solutions have been pointed out:

• Information to regional, provincial and municipal authorities and including them in their respective strategic plans
• Sharing common Models as presented by Valencia City Council. 
• Training of technicians from regional and local authorities.
• Possible declaration of public interest of Energy Communities

We would like to highlight the importance of holding this meeting in collaboration with EnerAgen the Spanish network of regional energy agencies and therefore the meeting has a national focus, and the attention gained at national level for further developments.