Energy: ENEA partner of EU project for energy communities

Promoting and supporting energy communities in Europe to achieve new goals in reducing CO₂ emissions and energy consumption and contribute to the green transition also thanks to citizen engagement.

This is the goal of the European project LIGHTNESS^[1] which comprises 13 partners from 8 EU countries, including ENEA and three other Italian organizations (Axpo Energy Solutions, CIVIESCO and Ener2Crowd).

The project, lasting 36 months, will focus on citizens cooperation, a low-cost technological package and innovative business models. In particular, activities on approximately 500 residential homes and over 30 tertiary buildings with a potential involvement of around 70,000 are expected.

In the initial phase, LIGHTNESS will carry out activities on some specific sites, to encourage the exchange of good practices and set the basis to implement a common action plan. In Italy, an eight apartment condominium in Cagliari, built in 1966, will be involved. It is an energy class G building where an energy community will be set up. A 20kWp solar system will be installed and the building insulated. The building will have a blockchain enabled power system, with data and analyses available in real time for prosumers.

The other sites involved are an energy cooperative in Alginet (Spain), a social housing complex in Wroclaw (Poland), an industrial park in Valence (France) and three interconnected energy communities of citizens in Woerden, Helden and Delft (Holland ). Overall, over + 3000 end users, professionals and EU policy-makers will be involved, with the aim of obtaining a 25% increase of renewable energy, a 30% energy cost reduction and the availability of up to 20% of flexibility from residential and commercial buildings during energy demand peaks.

"The ambitious greenhouse gas reduction target set by the European Union for the coming years requires the engagement of all parts of society and citizens will be able to play a significant and active role in the energy transition", Francesco Baldi, ENEA reference person for the project, explained.

"By unlocking the flexibility potential that energy communities offer for energy consumption and CO₂ emissions reduction, LIGHTNESS will provide economic, social and environmental benefits to communities along the entire energy value chain".

The project, funded by the Horizon 2020 program, is supported by 59 organizations, 10 European cities, 9 energy agencies, 9 energy cooperatives and 3 non-EU replicators in India, Turkey and Africa / America.

The other non-Italian partners from 7 EU countries are: R2M Solution (coordinator), IREC Fundacio Institut de Recerca de energia de Catalunya, Union de Cooperativas de personas consumidoras y usuarias de Energias Renovables and Improvistos Creatividad y Territorio (Spain) , IES R&D (Ireland), Duneworks BV (Netherlands), I.LECO (Belgium), Sofia Energy Agency Association (Bulgaria) and ALBEDO Energie (France).

For more information:

https://www.lightness-project.eu/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2qVGV4pSCk

Francesco Baldi, ENEA – Department Unit for Energy Efficiency, francesco.baldi@enea.it

^[1] Citizen energy communities enabLing hIGH peneTratioN of renewable Energy SourceS