24/01/2024

The introductory session of a series of four webinars, organized by the Energy Agency of Plovdiv for the LIFE project ConnectHeat, took place online via Zoom on January 24th at 10:00 a.m. In particular, these webinars have educational purposes, aimed at acquainting the public with the concept of energy communities by exploring various aspects of the topic. During the introductory event, speakers defined energy communities within the framework of the European directive and Bulgarian legislation and explained the economic, social, and environmental advantages of implementing such initiatives on a local level. Moreover, strategies for identifying and engaging stakeholders in the initiatives for energy communities were outlined. Speakers were experts from selected energy and environmental organizations, as well as representatives from the Chamber of Energy Communities in Bulgaria.

The session was further enriched by the BSERC's presentation delivered by Lyubimka Georgieva. She informed about the presence of supportive materials, aimed at helping Bulgarian citizens create and develop their own energy communities. Drawing from the groundwork laid by the SHAREs project and disseminated through the National Gateway, the presentation outlines the various profiles of target groups within an energy community. Strategies for effectively engaging potential community members with personalized messages were proposed, supplemented by examples of white label materials, each conveniently accessible via encrypted QR codes.

The participation in this event not only facilitated the exchange of knowledge but also enabled synergies between ongoing projects. It fostered prospects for future collaborative endeavours within the field of energy communities.