At the beginning of August, last Wednesday 7th, the Association of Estonian Cities and Municipalities (Eesti Linnade ja Valdade Liit) co-organised an Inspiration Day in Tikupoiss. The activity was part of the dissemination and popularisation activities of the objectives of the EC4RURAL – LIFE programme to inform all people interested in the creation of energy communities in the twelve rural municipalities participating in the project.
In total there were 28 participants representing the municipalities of Hiiumaa, Järva, Mustvee, Saarde, Rõuge, Paide, Võru, Tallinn, Tori, Tootsi, Ulila, Saue, Pärnu, Lüganuse, the NGO Virumaa Cooperative Council, the Association of Municipalities of Virumaa and representatives of the four Estonian partners: Tartu Regional Energy Agency, Estonian Leader Union (ELU), Tartu University (UTARTU) and Association of Estonian Cities and Municipalities (AECM).
Taavi Liivandi from the municipality of Hiiumaa shared his experience on the progress of creating an energy community on the island, the second largest in Estonia. Rait Pihelgas from the Association of Estonian Cities and Municipalities explained the local government’s goals for implementing energy communities, and Rene Reisner from the Ministry of Climate gave an overview of the development of energy communities in the country.
The panel discussion revolved around the idea that one of the cornerstones of successful energy community implementation is to establish transparent and smooth governance with neighbours and landowners, especially once the community has been established. Participants also discussed the latest developments in the energy sector, emphasising that new solutions would reach the market faster if there was legislation to support their implementation.
The morning ended with a tour of Tikupois with Urmas Johanson, owner of the Tikupoisi Solar Park, to learn about the possibilities of battery storage and the wind generator.
In Estonia, the 12 rural communities involved in EC4RURAL are home to more than 125,000 people and cover a total area of more than 9,000 hectares. They are Alutaguse, Elva, Hiiumaa, Järva, Lääne-Harju, Põltsamaa, Rõuge, Saku, Tori, Türi, Viimsi and Viru-Nigula:
