Evaluation of CEES pilot projects shows the positive impacts of work carried out by energy communities (ECs) to alleviate energy poverty.
Led by the University of Birmingham, the objective of the evaluation was to examine the processes, challenges, outcomes and impacts of the six CEES pilot projects.
- an approach to households that emphasises empathy, care and patience;
- the ability to build trust;
- ongoing knowledge exchange between energy communities; and
- partnerships with other local organisations, such as the providers of health and social care services.
The pilots showed that when they have enough staff time to devote to it, EC are able to develop more entrepreneurial strategies for funding and income generation. For example, the CEES pilot partners successfully secured funding from service contracts (from both public and private sector organisations), grants, and public and corporate donations. While grants and service contracts can support the staff time costs of energy solidarity work, this is less likely to be the case through donations, which may be better used to fund materials such as small energy efficiency measures for households. Funders should note that grant funding is likely to remain an important component of EC income strategies for energy solidarity work.
At the same time, work on energy solidarity is new for most ECs and different from their more well-established activities. In the CEES pilots, this meant that the ECs had to address a range of time-consuming challenges along the way and some activities were not successful within the CEES project period. That said, the ECs were able to problem solve and showed strong planning and development for energy solidarity work in the future.
More broadly, this means that there will typically be considerable preparation for energy communities to undertake before starting to work on energy poverty alleviation, for example staff or volunteer recruitment and training, and setting up secure data systems. Building trust with householders also takes time. It is important to recognise however that the causes of energy poverty in Europe are structural. This means that they are rooted in the structures of labour markets, welfare systems, building fabrics and energy markets. For this reason, although many ECs stand ready and able to work on energy poverty, responsibility has to remain with European governments to implement policies to address these more fundamental issues. Nonetheless, the CEES project has shown that energy solidarity approaches by ECs offer considerable potential for energy poverty alleviation, in particular when ECs are able to work with other local organisations.
Evaluations of CEES Partner pilots
The Full Report (above) includes a chapter devoted to each of seven pilot projects linked to the CEES Project. These chapters can also be viewed individually through the links provided below.
Diversifying funding and extending the reach of its service
ALIenergy’s pilot involved exploring ways to diversify their funding sources beyond grants. This involved work on microdonations, service contracts, public and corporate donations, referral fees and commercial activities. In addition, ALIenergy extended its already successful Affordable Warmth programme into the Highland region of Scotland, UK. This included setting up a new network of frontline organisations, to refer households to ALIenergy, and delivering the programme to households in new and challenging contexts. The evaluation examines the challenges and successes that ALIenergy experienced and the impacts that were achieved, as it raised more than €200 000 and reached 1 348 new households through this work.
A programme of workshops and home visits
The aim of the Coopérnico pilot was to implement a programme of ‘Use energy well’ workshops / Energy Cafés and home visits, largely for older people, in the greater Lisbon area, Portugal. Coopérnico organised and delivered the workshops in partnerships with senior universities, municipalities, local parishes and an energy agency. The evaluation focuses on how Coopérnico addressed the difficulties that it faced, as well as the successes and impacts of the work, as it implemented 18 workshops, which were attended by more than 350 people, and 20 home visits.
Energy Solidarity Taskforce telephone helpline
The objective of the Enercoop pilot was to implement an Energy Solidarity Taskforce telephone helpline for its customers across France who are struggling with their energy bills and to set up a new Energy Solidarity ‘frequently asked questions’ (FAQ) page on the Enercoop website. The evaluation highlights the issues and successes that Enercoop experienced and the impacts of these activities. In this first phase, the Taskforce supported 261 households and had received 2,397 visits to its webpage about a French government grant scheme. Based on development work during the CEES project, Enercoop relaunched the Energy Solidarity Taskforce in September 2024.
Raising funds and implementing home visits
The evaluation for the Green Energy Cooperative (ZEZ) focuses on the public and corporate fundraising campaigns, called ‘Ease Their Troubles’, that ZEZ aimed to implement in and around Zagreb, Croatia. The purpose of the fundraising was to buy 250 ‘energy kits’ for use in 250 home visits for older people on low incomes (to be implemented in part by a team of trained volunteers). ZEZ’s objective was to recruit households to the project via a network of local organisations and other promotional activities. The evaluation examines the challenges and outcomes that ZEZ experienced as it implemented these activities and the impacts that they produced.
Becoming established as an expert in energy solidarity
The objective of the Les 7 Vents pilot was to explore ways of securing funding for work on energy poverty in Normandy, France. This included work on microdonations, corporate donations and grants. In addition, Les 7 Vents aimed to implement a programme of 3SR projects; this is an approach through which householders are supported by professional craftspeople and volunteers to implement sustainable renovation projects at a lower cost than would be possible otherwise. The evaluation highlights how Les 7 Vents addressed the challenges that it encountered, as well as the successes and impacts of its work.
Diversifying funding and implementing a roadshow
The purpose of the Repowering London pilot was to work on diversifying sources of funding, beyond grants, to support its work on energy poverty in inner south London, UK. This included work on securing service contracts, and public and corporate donations. In addition, in the 2023/4 winter, Repowering London aimed to implement a programme of ‘Beat the Cold’ ‘drop in’ events. The evaluation examines the challenges and achievements that Repowering London experienced as it secured a service contract worth more than €200,000 with SGN (a UK gas network operator) and implemented 10 ‘drop in’ events at which it engaged with 139 people.
Home Monitoring for Wellbeing
The CEES evaluation methods were also used to evaluate an externally funded Repowering London project called Home Monitoring for Wellbeing (HMW). The aim of this project was to implement the following stages with up to 20 ‘low income’ households in inner south London, UK: install sensors to monitor internal temperature, energy consumption and aspects of indoor air quality; produced detailed feedback reports to offer householders tailored advice to tackle energy poverty and improve indoor air quality; offer householders up to €1 150 each to spend on products or appliances to improve energy efficiency and/or indoor air quality; all underpinned by ongoing in-depth engagement. The evaluation focuses how Repowering London addressed the issues that it faced, as well as successes and impacts of the project.