For a fair and people-powered energy system, BECoop (2020-2023), a project funded by the European Horizon 2020 programme, aims at putting communities in charge of their local renewable (bio)energy generation.

Deriving from living organic materials, bioenergy can be used to produce, among else, electricity, heat, and fuels. Even though not fully exploited, it holds, in practice, the highest potential for replacing fossil fuelled heat and remains the leading technology in the EU RE heating sector: the expansion of bioenergy projects across Europe would be of crucial importance for meeting the EU climate and energy targets.

By using BECoop support services and tools, energy communities and authorities will be able to:

• Mobilize citizens around existing or new community bioenergy initiatives.
• Boost local bioenergy demand by improving its image and social acceptance.
• increase feasibility of their endeavors by identifying suitable technical, business and financial solutions, as well as by pooling expertise and partnerships from the wider EU bioenergy ecosystem.

In order to showcase and build trust to our approach, we pilot our to a complementary set of 4 cases across Europe, targeting existing energy communities seeking to include bioenergy heating projects, and local/national authorities aiming at initiating novel bioenergy community structures in support of their clean energy transition goals. BECoop moves beyond local challenges as we replicate our concept to more EU cases, thus, improving the robustness and attractiveness of community bioenergy investments. BECoop will also create links between the international Bioenergy Community, increase its audience, and foster new partnerships.

Relevant policy and regulatory structures will be empowered with empirical evidence indicating ways to transfer the community energy approach in bioenergy and heating. Finally, the project is backed by a multidisciplinary consortium covering all relevant stakeholders and knowledge requirements. It also includes key stakeholders that are considered natural recipients of its results (existing energy communities, RESCoop Federations and local/national authorities).

Partners

• WHITE RESEARCH SPRL
• GOIENER S.COOP
• FUNDACION CIRCE CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION DE RECURSOS Y CONSUMOS ENERGETICOS
• ENERGEIAKH KOINOTHTA KARDITSAS SYNPE
• ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS
• Q-PLAN INTERNATIONAL ADVISORS PC
• FEDERAZIONE ITALIANA PRODUTTORI DI ENERGIA DA FONTI RINNOVABILI
• COPENHAGEN BUSINESS SCHOOL
• GMINA OBORNIKI SLASKIE
• UNIWERSYTET PRZYRODNICZY WE WROCLAWIU
• SUDTIROLER ENERGIE VERBAND GENOSSENSCHAFT
• INSTITUTE FOR EUROPEAN ENERGY AND CLIMATE POLICY STICHTING

Start date: 1 November 2020 - End date: 31 October 2023