More than 30 representatives of Polish municipalities took part in an online training on 28 November 2024 entitled “Shaping areas of accelerated RES development and energy communities”. The event kicked off a series of 6 training and advisory meetings aimed at supporting the energy transition process in municipalities. The training is part of the public task carried out by the Association of Municipalities Polish Network “Energie Cités” titled. “Conducting training and advisory activities on green and energy transformation for local government administrations” under investment G1.1.4 of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The topic of the first training covered aspects of the creation and operation of energy communities, taking into account good practices implemented in municipalities. The introduction to citizen energy as a key element of the energy transition belonged to Justyna Janosz-Klus from the Association, who introduced participants to the various forms of energy communities available under Polish legislation. The presentation highlighted the benefits of participating in energy communities, the barriers limiting their development and the solutions that can accelerate their formation and operation, including simplification of legal regulations, financial support or social campaigns. The speaker also presented examples, such as the Płońsk Energy Cluster and the Lądek Energy Cooperative, which demonstrate the potential of these initiatives in practice, demonstrating how energy communities can effectively contribute to the energy transition at the local level.
Next, the floor was taken by Monika Jaszcza from the Polish Green Network, who introduced participants to the effects and conclusions of implementing various forms of citizen energy in Polish municipalities. The expert discussed various models, such as individual, collective and tenant prosumers, as well as the previously mentioned energy cooperatives, energy clusters and citizen energy communities. During the presentation, practical examples of community energy actions undertaken in various regions of Poland were presented, including Szczytno, Skarżysko-Kamienna, Ryki and Ochotnica. The speaker drew attention to the role of energy cooperatives as an important element of sustainable development at the local level, highlighting the numerous benefits of such activities for municipalities and their residents.
Another presentation on modern tools supporting the development of energy cooperatives and the COMANAGE project was given by Bartłomiej Smenda from the The Krakow Metropolis Association. The aim of the project is to support the development of energy communities in Europe and to overcome legal, organisational and technical barriers to the establishment and operation of energy communities through tools offered on the COMANAGE Open Platform (i.e. Energy Communities Governance Toolkit, Training programme & E-learning platform, Decision Support System). These solutions help to engage residents, provide the necessary technical and organisational support and offer training in law, technology and business models. The initiative also supports the exchange of good practices and the development of cooperation between citizens and local authorities, enabling the long-term sustainability of energy communities.
Then the floor was taken by Grzegorz Horwacik from the Air Protection Department of the Skawina City and Municipality Office, who presented the concept of the Skawina Energy Cooperative - SES. The speaker discussed the assumptions and objectives of the cooperative, such as increasing energy security at the local level, solving problems resulting from the instability of energy prices within net-billing and the implementation of assumptions related to air protection. SES focuses on the use of photovoltaic (PV) installations, but there are plans to diversify energy sources through the construction of small hydropower and biogas plants to accommodate specific local needs. The presentation also outlined the challenges of operating an energy cooperative in Skawina and presented the online platform used for energy billing.
At the end of the training, Izabela Kuśnierz from the Association presented how energy communities can support residents in fighting energy poverty on the example of the municipality of Niepołomice. During the presentation, the speaker emphasised the role of energy communities in reducing energy costs for households, especially those with lower incomes. She also highlighted the economic, health and environmental benefits of creating such communities. During the presentation, the stages of the pilot project to establish an energy cooperative with vulnerable energy consumers were discussed, including the development of a financial model to allow residents easier access to investments and the identification of areas where RES installations can be implemented. A key objective of the project is to create a stable structure that will enable the energy cooperative to further develop and provide long-term benefits to the local community. The presentation provided an example of how energy poverty can be effectively addressed through local community involvement and external support, contributing to a just energy transition. An important part of the presentation was also the introduction of the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH) initiative, which supports local governments and communities in addressing energy poverty. The EPAH offers technical advisory services, methodological support and tools for the effective implementation of energy poverty strategies. Thanks to this initiative, municipalities such as Niepołomice can benefit from the experience of other regions and obtain financial and material support, which significantly supports local efforts to improve energy access and reduce energy costs for residents.
We would like to thank everyone for their attendance at the training and invite you to the next event in this series entitled “Planning, implementation and monitoring of energy efficiency measures for public buildings”, which will take place on 10 December 2024 on the ZOOM platform. More information will be available soon on our website!
To download the presentations below, please enter the password you received in the email sent after the event. For those of you who did not attend the event but are interested in viewing the presentations, please contact our office: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The following presentations may not be shared or published without the permission of the Association.
Presentations
- Capacity building in the field of green and energy transformation for local administrations [available in Polish] ,
Anna JASKUŁA, The Association of Municipalities Polish Network „Energie Cités”
- Citizen energy as a foundation for RES development and support of local communities [available in Polish] , Justyna JANOSZ-KLUS, The Association of Municipalities Polish Network „Energie Cités”
- Effects and lessons learned from the implementation of various forms of citizen energy in Polish municipalities [available in Polish] , Monika JASZCZA, Polish Green Network
- Modern tools to support the development of energy cooperatives – COMANAGE Open Platform [available in Polish] , Bartłomiej SMENDA, The Krakow Metropolis Association
- Skawina Energy Cooperative (SES) – from the idea to the operation of a local energy cooperative – opportunities and challenges [available in Polish] , Grzegorz HORWACIK, Department of Air Protection, Skawina City and Municipality Office
- Energy communities as a response to the challenge of energy poverty on the example of the municipality of Niepołomice – results of the Technical Support Programme EPAH [available in Polish] , Izabela KUŚNIERZ, The Association of Municipalities Polish Network „Energie Cités”
The activities are related to the implementation of Investment G1.1.4 – Support for institutions implementing reforms and investments under REPowerEU, as part of the development plan referred to in Chapter 2aa of the Act of 6 December 2006 on the principles of conducting development policy (Journal of Laws 2024, item 324, as amended), and the G8G indicator provided for in this Investment.
