Last year, EC4RURAL team kicked off clustering activities to strengthen collaboration and amplify the impact of energy community projects across Europe. The main objective is to create a network that will go beyond the EC4RURAL project and become key in time for any stakeholder interested in being involved in an energy community. By creating a self-sustaining network, EC4RURAL’s results and learnings will be shared and useful through time.

Led by project partner ELARD, EC4RURAL begun engaging with “sisters projects” that are focused on energy communities and green transformation. With the support of consortium partners, 29 projects were identified. In the fourth quarter of 2024, bilateral meetings were held with CELRURAL, Citizens-Led Renovation, Enercom Facility, COM4LGD and RUSTIK to introduce the initiative and identify areas for joined activities.

Following meetings were scheduled for first quarter of 2025 with AURORA, JALON, SHAREs and DISCOVER. The activity will continue throughout the entire duration of the EC4RURAL project.

A long-term work

This collaboration would enhance dissemination efforts by leveraging shared networks, communication channels, and events, ensuring that future project results related to the pilot projects experiences reach a broader audience. With this, duplication of efforts will be avoided as well as reinforce key messages and create a more coherent knowledge base that can benefit policymakers, practitioners, and local communities alike.

Beyond this, working with sister projects allows the EC4RURAL team to amplify impact through cross-learning and mutual support. By exchanging good practices, innovative methodologies, and findings, we can refine our approaches, and we hope as well that these connections will have a direct impact on the efficiency of the project.

Now, EC4RURAL team wants to invite more projects to join this cluster. Mainly, we are looking for strengthen our voice in the energy transition to drive real change.

Any person working on or related with an energy community project, can get in touch with us writing an email at info.ec4rural@uvigo.gal.