CONGREGATE – Building Renovation and Renewable Energy Cooperatives

Energy efficient renovation and encouraging “prosumer” behaviour though energy cooperative are proven measures that support the sustainable energy transition. However, neither building renovation programmes nor the creation of energy cooperatives are usually accompanied by adequate communication campaigns. This makes these successful practices invisible to both citizens and potential investors.

Buildings under renovation in Bulgaria. Photo: (c) Center for Energy Efficiency EnEffect

To promote interest and participation in building renovation and in the creation of energy cooperatives, the project combined two distinctive actions. 

First, it developed a communication strategy to support national building renovation strategies in Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania and organised different events to promote these strategies. For each country, the project monitored and analysed how current renovation programmes impact residents’ energy and financial savings as well their behaviours and attitudes. Results from this study informed future national campaigns for civic engagement in building renovation programmes. 

Second, the project promoted the establishment of public-private renewable energy cooperatives in Bulgaria, Greece, and the Czech Republic. To do so, it conducted three case studies per country and supported feasibility studies in the involved municipalities. The project then organised a variety of events to raise awareness for the results of the studies.  

• Three municipalities agreed to set up energy communities after carrying out detailed feasibility studies as part of the CONGREGATE project.  
• In Bulgaria, a communication strategy was developed to support building renovation programs. CONGREGATE coordinator EnEffect, with the support of the established communication agency INTERIMAGE, was invited to the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works to present the strategy and subsequently organise public events.  
• In cooperation with SEVEn (implementation partner), the Czech Chamber for Renewable Energy proposed amendments to the Energy Act to align it with the RED II and EMD directives. This proposal outlines the rights and obligations of energy communities and the principles for sharing electricity within these communities. The law with the proposed amendments will come into force on January 1, 2024. All this finally gives consumers a real opportunity to form energy communities in multi-family buildings.