Together with our Italian partners So.L.E and EuropAledro , we have recently launched a new Erasmus+ project in the field of vocational training. The aim of REC4localEU is to create conditions for the development of professional skills and knowledge in the field of renewable energy. The goal is to promote community initiatives such as renewable self-consumption associations in rural and mountainous European municipalities.
With this in mind, information events and workshops are being organised in the municipality of Ledro, in northern Italy, and here in Liechtenstein. The most important result, however, is a handbook at the end of the project, with guidelines and recommendations for the establishment and operation of energy communities which should empower citizens to take action.
Our climate targets and growing government subsidies for renewable energy are turning the role of us citizens upside down: from passive users to active constituents of the energy system by the possibility to participate in energy planning, production and management.
There are challenges of various kinds, however, (e.g. regulatory responsibilities at different levels of government, a lack of understanding of legal aspects and administrative procedures, financial hurdles and building regulations) that hinder the implementation of RECs. Education and dissemination of best practices and information on energy communities are therefore crucial for the successful involvement of citizens in the transition to renewable energy sources in decarbonisation.
Kick-off in Ledro I 2nd - 4th of November 2023
For the kick-off of the project, two of our team members travelled to Ledro to meet our project partners in person and plan the implementation of our project activities.
Our project REC4localEU summarized:
