The European Commission awarded the first Prize for Governance Innovations in Energy Communities to ten citizen communities from six countries, which share one million euros. The awards were presented in Brussels during the European Research and Innovation Days.
The European Commission awarded the first Prize for Governance Innovations in Energy Communities, which recognises renewable energy communities and citizen energy communities that stand out for how they make decisions, share benefits and work with local authorities and businesses. Ten communities from six countries of the European Union share a total of one million euros.
The winners received their awards during the European Research and Innovation Days, held in Brussels, after each of the ten finalists presented its governance model to the audience.
The prize distinguishes governance models that other communities can take as a reference: inclusive membership and leadership, fair ways of raising funds and sharing benefits, and close links with local and regional transition plans. The call was open to renewable energy communities and citizen energy communities, as defined in EU law, with a maximum of 10,000 members.
The winning projects show how energy communities can open their doors to everyone. Their members range from tenants and homeowners to small businesses, schools, social organisations and municipalities. Several initiatives have found ways to include those who could otherwise not take part, and ensure that every voice counts, with the one member, one vote principle in their general assemblies and leadership roles open to women and young people.
With 350,000 euros, Manza Energía — launched in 2022 by the municipality of Manzanares el Real, near Madrid, and now managed by a residents' association — shares the output of a 100 kWp solar plant installed at the municipal sports centre between the sports centre, the public school and local families, giving priority to households in a situation of energy vulnerability.
Austria's first eco-social energy community receives 200,000 euros. Its more than 140 members donate their surplus solar electricity to households in energy poverty, identified together with social organisations such as Caritas St. Pölten.
The Telheiras/Lumiar renewable energy community in Lisbon, created in 2021 and managed by the non-profit association Viver Telheiras, receives 100,000 euros. The association coordinates a network of local NGOs together with the Lumiar parish council.
Seven more initiatives were each distinguished with 50,000 euros. The Amsterdam cooperative, founded in 2018 by residents of the former Wilhelmina Gasthuis site, is building its own neighbourhood heat network using heat from a nearby canal, so that more than 1,000 homes and businesses can stop using natural gas; the cooperative will own the entire energy system.
The cooperative renewable energy community covering the county of Calatayud, in Aragon, designed through participatory processes, has brought into service 14 shared solar installations supplying 145 connection points, all of them members.
brupower, a citizen energy community covering the whole Brussels-Capital Region, has more than 300 cooperative members and shares locally produced solar energy with members such as a day centre for homeless people and the municipality of Saint-Gilles, which opens its surplus energy to local families and shopkeepers.
Spain's first industrial renewable energy community, created in 2022 as a non-profit cooperative by companies on the Bufalvent industrial estate, with the local business association and Manresa city council as collaborating members, shares out around 1 MWp of solar energy among its member companies.
The citizens' energy cooperative founded in 2018 in Herent, near Leuven, with several hundred shareholders, finances and manages rooftop solar installations and works with the city of Leuven to put panels on its largest roofs.
Crete's first energy community, founded in 2019 in Arkalochori, brings citizens and municipalities together; a project funded by its members will give more than 100 households and businesses free electricity for 25 years.
Hyperion, Athens' first energy community to produce its own solar energy, has around 120 members and 71% of its decision-makers are women. All major decisions are taken in a general assembly in which every member has an equal vote, and members collectively funded the free inclusion of households in a situation of energy vulnerability.
An independent jury of experts assessed the applications against four criteria. The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) manages the prize on behalf of the Commission.
The Commission will continue working with the ten winners to share what they have learned with energy communities across Europe, for example through lessons-learned workshops.
The prize is funded by Horizon Europe, the EU's framework programme for research and innovation, with a budget of 95.5 billion euros for 2021-2027, within its cluster 5 'Climate, Energy and Mobility'.
