Day 2: Wednesday, 6 May

The REScoop.eu Policy Team will unpack the contents of the hotly anticipated Citizens Energy Package from the European Commission, and analyse what opportunities and challenges it presents for energy communities and community-led projects on the ground.

This session, co-organised by LIFE-DHC and Interreg Aquacom will explore how energy communities are installing thermal energy systems across Europe; We will explore different technologies and their benefits such as aquathermal energy, as well as financing schemes, and how national and EU frameworks can become supportive of Community-led Heating and Cooling. We will showcase 2 practical examples (BE an NL) of a successful community-led thermal projects, detailing the journey from initial planning to operational success.

Guest speakers:

Ilonka Marselis - Energie Samen

Dirk Vansintjan (Ecopower)

Felix Kriedemann (REScoop.eu

Over the past year, there have been multiple developments around the EU funding landscape for energy communities. This session will take stock of updates around the Social Climate Fund, the ENERCOM Facility, the EU budget negotiations (2028-2034), and Cohesion Funds, providing concrete tips and guidance on how members can access them. Participants will also be able to interact with alternative and cooperative financiers.

Community energy initiatives across Europe face similar regulatory, organisational and financing challenges, yet operate in diverse national contexts. Inspired by the experiences of the Life COMET project, this workshop brings together practitioners and coalition builders from across Europe, with a particular focus on the Baltic region and practical insights from the Balkans.

Participants will explore how cross-border information exchange and cooperation can strengthen national community energy coalitions and support regulatory improvements. Through examples from Baltic countries and experiences of regional cooperation in the Balkans, they will share lessons, identify transferable practices, and discuss concrete mechanisms for ongoing collaboration, turning national insights into collective European progress for community energy.

Energy communities are implementing batteries and other flexibility tools for different purposes : consuming more of their shared energy, helping their DSO with congestions or even participating to overall grid balance . Come & learn form their experiences and ask them tricky questions!

Energy communities are for everyone, but our communication campaigns tend to target like-minded people. Rural communities have a deep understanding of their environment, are used to collaborating and usually own land, making them ideal community energy leaders. In this workshop we will explore ways to engage and inspire them to join the energy revolution.

A session where participants will have the opportunity to pitch project ideas around LIFE, as well as co-develop project concepts and preliminary consortia

The Mobility Factory shows what it can offer energy communities in an informal setting.

A look at different mechanisms available for ensuring that proper enabling frameworks are put in place at national level to allow energy communities to exist and thrive. From advocacy and capacity-building, to legal avenues and leveraging EU-level governance tools.

Kilowatt-hours, carbon footprint, number of solar installations, or return on investment are key indicators of a project’s success. But numbers alone rarely change minds. What truly resonates are the the stories of challenges and breakthroughs, the human faces behind the achievements, their dreams, and their desire to be part of a collective force taking action for a better future.

This session will bring together renewable energy developers and community energy representatives, to explore an overarching framework for fair benefit sharing, and then dive into specific and concrete case examples of how this can be put to practise in different Member states

Budget Smarter: Practical Financial Management for LIFE Projects, for REScoop.eu members only.

Latvian band & Dance class

Room: Dinner Area