The EUSALP Energy Award recognizes best practices that are contributing to the implementation of the energy transition in the Alpine area through the roll-out of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures. The EUSALP Energy Award is an initiative of the EUSALP Action Group 9, initiated under the umbrella of the Italian EUSALP Presidency 2022. The award is financially supported by the Technical Assistance Fund of the European Commission, DG Regio. Find more information here.
The award edition 2022 :”Citizen activation and participation in the energy transition” honoured activities and projects of citizens, municipalities, start-ups, established companies, research institutions and NGOs that are exemplary for citizens’ involvement in the energy transition.
Of the 23 initiatives received from all over the Alps, seven were selected by a jury of international experts to be awarded at a ceremony during the Energy Conference.
Energie Tirol – Tirol 2050 energieautonom – Austria
Energy strategies are only worth the paper they are written on - until they are brought to life. For this reason, Energie Tirol started a process in 2014 that not only visualizes the energy targets of the state of Tyrol but also supports them in their implementation, involving the population, administration, communities, companies and other organizations.
The process was developed with the involvement of experts from the fields of change management, psychology and communication. It includes:
· Continuous process support with formats that bring politics, science, administration and others together
· Dialogues with relevant interest groups & inclusion of the results in the process
· Pilot projects that advance the energy transition
· Communication (Social Media, stories of success)
Around 60% of Tyrolean citizens know the goals and 80% consider the plans as positive to very positive. It has succeeded in arousing enthusiasm for the goal of "TIROL 2050 energieautonom".
More information: https://www.energie-tirol.at/
Südtiroler Bauernbund – Exploiting the potentials of renewable energies in South Tyrol’s agricultural sector with benefits for all – Italy
The Innovation and Energy Department (I&E) of the Südtiroler Bauernbund (SBB, the farmers’ association of South Tyrol with 21,000 members) provides information and services on renewable energy and energy efficiency for agricultural enterprises. The most important activities include providing specific technical and subsidy advice on energy issues to farmers and simultaneously, to foster innovation and adoption of new practices. Next to consultancy, the I&E Department leads third-party-funded projects on energy efficiency (INNOEnergie), the sustainable use of photovoltaics (INNOPhotovoltaik), and pilot projects for the participation of farms in test-before-invest activities (e.g. Alperia project Energy Communities, Appendix 1). Within the EU Horizon Project SYMBIOSYST, SBB bridges the gap between R&D of agriphotovoltaic technologies and their adoption. For interdisciplinary exchange and to be always up to date on energy issues, SBB is integral part in a network of regional actors (e.g. EURAC, SEV, INEWA Consulting). Furthermore, excursions, information and training courses on energy issues are continuously organised to raise awareness among farmers.
More information: www.sbb.it
Energiegenossenschaft Peißenberg eG – Agrivoltaics for the Bavarian Alpine Foreland: Energy Supply and Agriculture Hand in Hand – Germany
The Peißenberg energy cooperative works on the renewable energy roll-out in the Bavarian Alpine Foreland. Currently we are concentrating on generating electricity from photovoltaics. As a cooperative we believe in a participatory approach. Corresponding our motto « together for the energy transition », we are building solar power plants hand in hand with our members, local partners and energy providers, municipalities and districts. The great acceptance of our first solar plant proved to us the importance of our participatory approach. The successful realization of the project paved the path to initiating several new PV projects. The upcoming projects will be agrivoltaics on permanent grassland while maintaining the agricultural use.
More information: www.eg-peissenberg.de
Association des Centrales Villageoises – The Centrales Villageoises model: empowering citizens for the development of renewable energies – France
"Centrales Villageoises" are local companies whose shareholders are mainly citizens, local municipalities and companies. Their aim is to develop renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, at a territorial scale, taking into consideration the local stakes (integration into landscape, economic local development, social link, etc.). The "Centrales Villageoises" concept started with an experimentation piloted on 8 pilot sites from 2010 to 2014 by the regional energy agency of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and progressively led to the elaboration of local citizen-owned companies which developed and financed some first photovoltaic plants. The entire technical and legal framework was then consolidated and enabled the concept to be replicated on other sites. In 2018, the Association Centrales Villageoises (ACV) was created to continue developing the network. Today the association gathers more than 60 local companies, which have developed more than 400 photovoltaic power plants.
More information: https://www.centralesvillageoises.fr/centrales-villageoises-local-citizen-owned-energy-communities
SCV Domaine Skiable de Serre Chevalier - Developping Renewable Energy Use in Ski Resorts – France
How to produce 30% of our annual energy need using renewable energy? SCV Domaine Skiable operates the ski resort of Serre Chevalier and decided in 2017 to produce a part of its electricity using the infrastructures of the resort as support of renewable energy production.
More information: www.serre-chevalier.com
Environment Park S.p.A. - Assistance to Piedmont municipalities in developing investment concepts for energy efficiency– Italy
Environment Park has supported municipalities in the development of investment plans for energy efficiency in public buildings, public lighting and sustainable mobility. In particular, it has designed and submitted to the European call EU City Facility two projects for the development of investment plans called "Energy Efficiency First in Pinerolo territory" and "Smart mobility in local energy communities" both funded. The first project has allowed to develop an articulated investment plan on three municipalities (Pinerolo, None e Pomaretto) with a total investment of EUR 14,976,850. Most of the
investment is for the energy requalification and installation of power plants for the production of renewable energy through EPC and EUR 983,000 for the energy requalification of the public lighting system in None. The energy requalification through EPC foresees the mobilisation of private investments. The private investor will be able to access the national incentives (Conto Termico) provided for the energy requalification of public buildings as part of an EPC contract. The incentives will make it possible to cover about 60% of the investment.
More information: www.envipark.com
Consorzio BIM Adige Trento – Photovoltaic for families in Trentino – Italy
The project “Fotovoltaico per le famiglie” represents a concrete contribution to the installation of photovoltaic power generation systems and related storage batteries dedicated to households residing in municipalities that are part of the BIM Adige Consortium, and part of a larger project involving the entire province of Trento. Through a program agreement signed between the Autonomous Province of Trento, the 4 BIM Consortia of Trentino (Adige, Brenta, Sarca and Chiese), the Trentino Federation of Cooperation and the Trentino Artisans Association, it was possible to start a joint, integrated project that concerns the entire Province of Trento.
The initiative, part of the framework of the aforementioned programme agreement, looks at the growth of the spread of photovoltaic systems in the reference territory; we believe this short-term objective represents an important push to bring families to a new way of ‘living energy’ and to create, in the medium/long term, the best technical and cultural conditions for the establishment of renewable energy communities.
More information: https://www.bimtrento.it
