ACCU

CONTEXT

Achieving EU’s decarbonisation ambitions requires a transition to a distributed energy system with participation of citizens. Local energy communities (LECs) are an effective means of doing this. LECs are organisations bringing together citizens, businesses and local authorities to collectively own and operate distributed energy resources and services. 

The uptake of LECs is hindered by:

1. Technical challenges incl. storage, grid congestion and disbalance,
2. Complex energy sector/planning regulations, 
3. Social-organisational challenges on starting and organizing LECs and 
4. Financial challenges incl. a robust business case. 

There are also multiple opportunities: 

• LECs can locally balance electricity demand in real-time and store locally generated solar energy surpluses. 
• When energy prices are volatile, LECs deliver heat and electricity for fair and reliable prices.

OBJECTIVES

ACCU will set up 3 Local Energy Communities in Arnhem, Bruges and Fourmies. They will be sharing locally produced renewable electricity and heat and storing local solar energy. Doing so, ACCU will reduce grid impacts, prevent energy poverty and empower local participation in the energy transition. ​

ACCU achieves this by developing technical and organisational strategies for LECs and providing capacity building through workshop sessions with key stakeholders.

ACCU PILOT CITIES