13/11/2023

The renowned Bulgarian newspaper "Capital" under its monthly video podcast series "Capital Green" which focuses on sustainable business, clean energy, green policies, and climate change, recently delved into the implementation of local energy communities. The main guests for this episode were Mariya Trifonova, a senior expert from the SHAREs’ project partner BSERC, and Todor Popov, a representative of the Municipality of Gabrovo, who participated in a study tour organized within the framework of the SHAREs project. The discussion centered around their impressions and takeaways from visiting energy community models in Germany and Austria, emphasizing the social and economic impact on the regions.

 

"We invited representatives from three Bulgarian municipalities, recognized as leaders in promoting citizen energy among their population, to participate in the study tour. The objective was to provide them with the opportunity to observe the implementation processes of energy community projects in other European municipalities. Through this experience, they could gain a deeper understanding of the significant role that energy communities play in their respective regions and explore their overall impact on the local economy," initiated the discussion M. Trifonova.

Encouraged by the good practices witnessed during the study tour, T. Popov announced that the Municipality of Gabrovo is initiating a pilot project to empower citizens to engage in an energy community. The municipality has crafted its energy community business model, delineating specifics such as technology, installed capacity, and investment amounts. Moreover, their pilot initiative receives support from SHAREs through capacity-building and knowledge exchange activities.

"Through our initiative, we aim to demonstrate that the energy community is a viable model that can be replicated both among citizens and SMEs," stated T. Popov.