North-West Europe is one of the most energy-consuming regions in Europe. As the transition to clean energy progresses, energy communities are emerging as key players helping to drive decarbonisation, strengthen energy security, and reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels.
They also hold strong potential to empower citizens and encourage lasting behavioural change. Despite this promise, many energy communities still face serious barriers, from financial constraints and complex legal frameworks to social acceptance challenges and technical issues such as storage and grid congestion.
Through dedicated projects, the NWE Programme supports communities to set up their own aqua thermal heating and cooling systems as well as local solar energy storage and heat systems, and to make district heating systems accessible to homeowners. Our projects also develop integrated energy systems for existing energy communities and introduce balancing and congestion management services to facilitate the use of renewables.
Projects tackling this theme
Organisations with increased capacity to accelerate community-led energy transitions
Pilot actions developing solutions to empower local energy communities
* Target by the end of the programming period