New resources for local renewable energy

The recent challenging economic situation has contributed to increased awareness of our over-dependence on burning fossil fuels. The EU target is to generate 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. Communities in Europe and beyond are already investing in renewable energy and taking responsibility for their own energy needs. Such projects are a source of inspiration for those of us who want to get directly involved in mitigating climate change effects.

In its Energy Road Map 2050 plan, the European Union stressed that investment in renewable energy is a necessary step forward in energy management. It is envisaged that local communities will generate their own renewable energy, insuring themselves against future shortages of fossil fuels. Among other advantages, community-scale energy projects are more cost efficient, improve the local economy, empower people and raise environmental and sustainability awareness.

Community groups focusing on carbon reduction and energy efficiency are diverse: they can be student environmental societies, local charities, politicians, business owners and so on. So, how do you get involved?  You could, for instance, check out the Rough Guide to Community Energy, distributed for free online and dedicated to UK communities, or find out more about Sustainable Energy Communities in Europe.

These resources provide practical advice for promoting and funding projects and include inspirational success stories to give you an idea of which type of project might best suit your community, such as solar, wind, hydro, biomass and/or combined heat and power (CHP). This is not only taking place in the UK, but all over Europe and further afield. You can find examples in Portugal, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Denmark, just to mention a few. Most importantly, all of these projects are focused on improving energy savings, reducing energy consumption and improving energy efficiency.

Blog by Ana