"Civil Society Energy for Resilient Ukraine" is a two-year project designed to support the creation of renewable energy communities in Ukraine. The initiative is being implemented by the wechange eG cooperative (Berlin) in partnership with the Synergy Sustainable Development Agency (Vinnytsia) with the support of the German Federal Foreign Office. The project aims to make a sustainable contribution to Ukraine's energy transformation and green recovery by offering citizens responsible ways to produce and consume.
What are energy communities?
Energy communities are associations of citizens who jointly own and manage renewable energy projects. The activities of renewable energy communities in EU countries are defined in the 4th Energy Package "Clean Energy for All Europeans" (2019), but have a long tradition dating back to the late nineteenth century. Members of energy communities can be individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises or local authorities, including municipalities. Energy communities can have any legal form, such as an association, cooperative, partnership, non-profit organisation or small or medium-sized enterprise. Such associations have a positive impact on the ability of their members to jointly invest in energy assets. This, in turn, increases the energy independence of communities, reduces energy costs and contributes to the decarbonisation of the energy system.
What are the project's activities?
- Case Study Challenge "Re-energise Ukraine"
The problems of autonomous and ecological energy supply can be solved by building green energy communities, and the development and solution of energy cases will provide an opportunity for students, professionals, social entrepreneurs and renewable energy enthusiasts to present their solutions for communities. In May 2023, together with representatives of communities and businesses, specific and relevant cases in the field of renewable energy will be developed. In June-July 2023, willing activists with basic knowledge of renewable energy will form teams to work on solving the proposed green energy cases.
- Mentoring programme for future energy communities
Participants of the Case Study Challenge will have the opportunity to work in teams and consult with mentors during group and individual online meetings. Mentors will help evaluate the developed ideas, identify weaknesses, and suggest useful resources to improve the solution. Based on the results of the submitted solutions, community representatives will check the solutions and select the best ones, whose authors will present their ideas in the final of the championship. The best teams and solutions (5 teams of up to 5 people each) will receive individual mentoring from Ukrainian and German mentors, a ready-made business plan for the project, and the opportunity to participate in a study visit to Germany in 2024.
- Focus group study on energy communities
To identify the opportunities, obstacles and potential benefits of establishing energy communities in Ukraine, the project will conduct a mixed-format focus group study. The financial, technical and legislative aspects of creating energy communities will be addressed in three online expert focus groups (employees of municipal energy efficiency services, representatives of professional NGOs, business representatives (investors), representatives of companies that can implement and maintain RES projects, and scientists). Socio-environmental and informational aspects will be addressed in 2 offline focus groups (with local community activists, representatives of NGOs, and the media). Questions on the legislative framework, state support, potential models and expected benefits for energy security and decarbonisation will be addressed to 5 small groups of experts in moderated focus groups. The focus group study will be part of an analytical document, a white paper on the development of green energy communities in Ukraine, which will be published in 2024.
- Public dialogues
Ideas and prospects for creating energy communities, a roadmap for supporting potential energy communities, as well as the first results of the study will be discussed in 2 public dialogues with representatives of civil society and local communities in Ukraine with the involvement of the media. The discussions will take place offline in two regional centres: Vinnytsia and Lviv. As part of these events, the results of three previously conducted online expert focus group studies will be presented. Ukrainian and German experts will present the results of the research. In addition, it is planned to organise 2 offline focus groups, and the programme will culminate in a presentation of the best projects developed by the participants within the framework of the case championship, open to representatives of communities, media and NGOs.
- Building a community of like-minded people on one platform
Activists and initiators of energy transformation will unite on one platform for effective cooperation, exchange of experience, mentoring and support, creating energy communities.
- Information campaign
The results of the project participants' work and information on the creation of energy communities will be published on social media and on the partners' online platforms.
Who is the project's target audience?
We invite employees of energy efficiency services of municipalities, business representatives (investors), companies that can implement and maintain RES projects, as well as scientists, students, activists of local communities and NGOs to cooperate.
What are the project's objectives?
1. Support for the development of renewable energy projects in communities based on the use of modern technologies and principles of self-consumption and distributed generation;
2. Development of management and mentoring skills for energy community leaders;
3. Increasing the sustainability and investment attractiveness of communities;
4. Improving competencies and knowledge in the management and financing of renewable energy projects;
5. Establishing links with European energy communities.
How to join the project?
- Propose your own case for the participants to solve
A case is a description of a specific task, problem, or challenge that the leadership of your village, settlement, or city territorial community is currently facing, and the solution of which will have a positive economic or social effect for the community residents.
- Submit your idea to the case championship
Are you convinced that you can take your own energy supply into your own hands? Do you want to live in an environmentally friendly and energy-independent community? Are you looking for like-minded people who are ready to work together for green development? Take part in the case study championship and offer innovative ideas for creating energy communities. The best participants will receive mentoring support and a chance to implement their ideas together with European partners.
- Join the focus group research
Do you have expertise (financial, technical, legislative, socio-environmental, or informational) that would be useful for the development of energy communities or renewable energy projects? Become a respondent to focus group research on the challenges and prospects for the development of energy communities in Ukraine.
- Become a team mentor
Support the teams with advice, consultations, mentoring support in the areas you work in: project management, business management and financing of renewable energy projects, technical expertise, fundraising, etc.