Database on the Status and Potential of Energy Communities in the EU

The project aims to map the EU’s community energy potential

ABUD is leading a privately commissioned research to map the European Union’s community energy potential and to provide an overview of energy communities for all EU member states.

Community energy (CE) is an emerging social innovation that is steadily gaining ground as an alternative to both household and centralized energy production. Community scale allows for more cost-efficient investment in low-carbon energy systems, leveraging social capital to drive decarbonization and democratizing otherwise vertically integrated energy markets.

The main objective of the study is to support the growth of community energy initiatives across the European Union by providing an easy-to-update database of the current state. Results will inform advocacy efforts to accelerate community energy, fitting a broader political drive to the decarbonization, decentralization and democratization of the European energy system.

Through a Research Grant launched by ABUD in partnership with the University of Pécs, four students will support the work and will have the opportunity to join the professional community of European universities, NGOs and EU institutions dealing with community energy and sustainable energy transition.