The projects of  EEA Grants will reach their conclusion in April 2024, ending a journey of almost 3 years in which innovative projects were implemented, which aim to promote a more sustainable and decarbonized world. These projects are not only important to be implemented on the ground, but it is also essential to share experiences and good practices so that they can be replicated in future initiatives. For this reason, IDN will organize, in partnership with Coopérnico and the Porto Energy Agency, a webinar in that will allow this knowledge sharing. In this event, inspiring cases from Norway (one of the donor countries of the EEA Grants project) and Portugal will be presented, in which they will focus on community-led initiatives promoting a more sustainable world.  During the webinar the following contributions from both Norwegian and Portuguese side will be made:

 Local energy community of Trondheim – implementation of +CityxChange project and positive energy districts concept. Trondheim commune.

As a partner in the +CityxChange project, Trondheim is a city on the cutting edge of energy innovation and sustainable urban development. As the city grows and expands, so too does its energy consumption—a challenge that +CityxChange’s solutions are designed to address. These solutions are focused not only on reducing overall energy use but also on optimizing how energy is consumed, ensuring it is done more intelligently and efficiently. Trondheim municipality is one of the leading cites involved in the project, , showcasing the potential for green business development., Bjørn Ove Berthelsen, the project manager +CityxChange’s will present the project and Trondheim municipality involvement, the Brattøra showcase and concept of energy positive district. 

Implementation of Smart Senja project – development of the energy system of the future. Smart Senja, Arctic centre for sustainable energy

Smart Senja focuses on developing an innovative energy system for the Senja region in Norway, including smart control systems, distributed energy resources, and solutions to address electrification challenges Through innovative use of smart control systems, photovoltaic systems and energy storage in batteries, the project will contribute to balancing the grid in an innovative way. The goal is to put in place a satisfactory energy supply. At the same time, the facilities will serve as large-scale pilot facilities for further research and development. Johannes Fjell Hojem from Smart Senja, Arctic centre for sustainable energy, Institutt for fysikk og teknologi will introduce main project findings. 

 Flexible Integration of Local Energy Communities with distribution gird (FINE project) SINTEF

FINE is a project funded by The Research Council of Norway. Integration of Local Energy Communities) project, led by SINTEF, is researching how local energy communities can be flexibly integrated into the Norwegian power grid (distribution grid). The project aims to develop models and analyze the interaction between local energy communities and distribution system operators. Sigurd Bjarghov researcher from SINTEF Energy Systems, will present the FINE project and share insights from his research on design and flexibility in local electricity markets. 

Fair prices mechanisms in local energy communities, NTNU. 

Local energy communities and electricity markets have emerged as possibilities for interaction among prosumers. A substantial effort has been invested into creating efficient pricing mechanisms for various market arrangements, all of which take into consideration distinct characteristics of local electricity trading. Marthe Fogstad Dynge from NTNU will present the study on prices mechanisms within local energy communities and the electricity market. The aim the research is to provide insight into the performance of different pricing mechanisms to energy regulators and local electricity market facilitators. 

Culatra2030 – Sustainable Energy Community

Based on their Clean Energy Transition Agenda, the initiative today known as “Culatra2030 – Sustainable Energy Community” is a ‘living lab’ for the green transition. Its mission is to guide the fishing village of Culatra towards energy self-sufficiency using abundant local resources such as the sun. To date, the interventions included installing PV panels, as well as developing a solar-powered boat to make aquiculture farming zero carbon. In this context, Culatra received the status of pilot project on renewable energy community by the Portuguese energy regulator (ERSE) which will be able to test innovative energy sharing models in collaboration with the national distribution system operator (E-REDES, portuguese DSO).

Asprela + Sustentável project – the first energy community in Portugal

The Asprela is the area of ​​the city of Porto with the greatest concentration of knowledge and talent, and therefore with immense potential to collaborate and benefit from projects in the area of sustainability. In this way, the Asprela + Sustentável project can interact around this area of ​​the city, with a diverse set of stakeholders that manage to capture practically the entire social spectrum of the city. Asprela + Sustentável has the energy sector as its central vector, developed around solar energy as a sustainable source of energy, seeking in a disruptive way to create the first renewable energy community in Porto, encouraging the consumption of clean energy, promoting electric mobility sustainable development and the possibility of storing part of the energy produced.

Join the Matchmaking webinar to learn more about the Local Energy Communities of North and South of Europe! It takes place on April 26, 2024, at 9.30-12.30 PM GMT on Zoom.

Link to the Webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83352498163?pwd=kmS7IKnxUk3PJAhZKXPxpO3MSu61oU.1