IEE/11/93/SI REScoop Foster social acceptance of RES by Stakeholder engagement. Publishable Report

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1 IEE/11/93/SI REScoop Foster social acceptance of RES by Stakeholder engagement Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) Key action: Publishable Report Final Technical Implementation Report (FR) Period covered: 30/03/ /03/2015 Due date: 30/05/2015 Start date of the action: 30/03/2012 Duration: 36 months End date of the action: 29/03/2015 Dirk Vansintjan Ecopower - dirk.vansintjan@ecopower.be Project website: Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 1 of 36

2 Table of Contents 1 Summary Objectives of the action Main activities, results and lessons learned Success stories Involvement of target groups and key actors in the action Performance indicators Important problems and deviations from Annex I Performance review by work package Work package 1: Management Objectives Major activities and achievements Assessment of the performed work Work package 2: Identifying REScoop best practices and mentors for dissemination Objectives Major activities and achievements Assessment of the performed work Work package 3: Design REScoop business models for new citizens RES projects Objectives Major activities and achievements Assessment of the performed work Work package 4: Development of REScoop investment schemes for EU wide application Objectives Major activities and achievements Assessment of the performed work Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 2 of 36

3 2.5 Work package 5: Applying the REScoop business models and investment schemes in new RES projects Objectives Major activities and achievements Assessment of the performed work Work package 6: Leveraging the REScoop approach Objectives Major activities and achievements Assessment of the performed work Objectives Major activities and achievements Assessment of the performed work Work package 8: EASME dissemination activities Objectives Major activities and achievements Assessment of the performed work Consortium management The partnership The management structure Project meetings European exchange activities Quality control Project website Contact with the EACI Suggestions for improvements Overview tables Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 3 of 36

4 1 Summary 1.1 Objectives of the action The overall objective of REScoop was to foster social acceptance for RES projects through an active involvement of local citizens. Direct citizen participation in renewable energy projects is particularly strong in renewable energy cooperatives (REScoops) where citizens co-own renewable energy installations and thus share in the profits. REScoop wanted to identify the European REScoops, gather their expertise to develop tools that could actively support the legal start-up of 12 pilot projects. 1.2 Main activities, results and lessons learned We expected to find 400 European REScoop initiatives and were surprised to see that there are more than REScoops out there. The database (D2.1) that we developed throughout the project duration contains basic information on 693 initiatives. We mainly identified REScoops in Western European countries, because in Central and Eastern European countries the word cooperative is still easily associated with communism. As a consequence the potential of citizen-owned renewable energy projects so far remained largely untapped in Central and Eastern European countries. We hope that the successful seminars in Poland and Croatia (D6.1) have triggered local citizens and municipalities to get actively involved in the energy transition to energy democracy. We were able to get in contact with various European REScoops and the inspiring people behind these wonderful initiatives. We learned that REScoops can differ from one another in terms of activities, size and the way they organise themselves. It was fascinating to see that despite these differences they all seem to apply the same rules, also referred to as the cooperative principles outlined by the International Cooperative Alliance: (1) voluntary and open membership, (2) democratic member control, (3) economic participation of the members, (4) autonomy and independence, (5) education, information and training, (6) cooperation among cooperatives and (7) concern for community. We also learned that European guidelines and directives have been interpreted in many different ways by the European Member States, sometimes resulting in unfavourable conditions for REScoops and other related citizenowned renewable energy projects. We developed relevant resources such as a report describing 30 European REScoop best practises (D2.3), a report analysing the existing REScoop business models (D3.2), a guide on how to engage and manage stakeholders in RES projects (D3.3), a report describing the financial barriers and the existing solutions for citizen-owned RES projects (D4.1) and a handbook on how to finance citizen-owned RES projects (D4.2). These resources are useful for policy makers, but particularly interesting for European citizens who want to set up their own REScoop. Therefore we stored these resources in a toolbox (D3.1) on the project website and we applied these tools in 12 pilot projects with the help of REScoop mentors (WP5). The latter are well-trained REScoop representatives who expressed their willingness to support starting initiatives. Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 4 of 36

5 We learned that unless citizens demand the energy transition, nothing will change. We literally need people to want wind turbines if we want a shift towards a more sustainable energy system. Educating citizens and explaining them what a REScoop is, how it works and how they can get engaged is the key here. In the light of REScoop we developed an effective communication campaign (WP7), organised several policy seminars and set up various fruitful meetings with EU institution representatives and various policy makers (WP6). Several REScoop representatives have been invited as key note speakers and/or panellists in high level policy seminars, and this continues after the project duration. We legally set up a European federation of groups and cooperatives of citizens for renewable energy (REScoop.eu) as a Belgian not-for-profit organisation. The main purpose of the federation is to represent the European citizen in the energy transition. REScoop.eu argues that we do not only need a transition from fossil and nuclear energy towards renewable energy, from centralised towards decentralised energy production and from a system that wastes energy towards a system that uses energy in a rational and efficient way. REScoop.eu also emphasises that we need to shift to an energy system where citizens take ownership. 1.3 Success stories For many years REScoops have been operating as isolated islands, trying to develop renewable energy projects in their particular local areas. Thanks to REScoop these initiatives were able to broaden their horizon and link up with similar actors from all across Europe. Project meetings, policy seminars, workshops and other related networking activities allowed the people behind these initiatives to get into contact with one another, to exchange experiences and learn from one another. As a result various cross-border collaborations between REScoops have emerged. - Boa Energia, a starting REScoop from Portugal, was able to invest in a solar project with the financial support of three other REScoops: Waterland (NL), Somenergia (ES) and BeauVent (BE). In REScoop MECISE a brand new Horizon 2020 project we now want to explore how REScoop.eu could provide a similar financial facilitation service to European REScoops. - REScoop.be was closely involved with the set-up of the Sustainable Energy Youth Network (SEYN), a network trying to enhance the participation of young people in the energy transition and helping them to start up their own REScoop. SEYN will organise its first summer school on the island of Solta (HR) in July Various REScoop representatives will attend this meeting as key note speakers and panellists. - REScoop.be organised an inspiring study tour on the island of Bornholm (DK) and took the pilot projects (e.g., Bronsgroen (BE), Sifnos (GR), Krk (HR) and Balearic islands (ES)), project partners and mentors along. Inter-connecting these actors maximised impact but kept travel expenses under control at the same time. In Lille we successfully linked pilot projects, to mentors, beneficiaries, policy makers and academics. Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 5 of 36

6 The consortium successfully raised political awareness for citizens in the energy transition. In their vision on the Energy Union the European Commission recently stated the following: Most importantly, our vision is of an Energy Union with citizens at its core, where citizens take ownership of the energy transition, benefit from new technologies to reduce their bills, participate actively in the market, and where vulnerable consumers are protected. In addition EU Commissioner for Energy Miguel Arias Cañete mentioned Ecopower as an outstanding example of community energy at the 7 th Citizens Energy Forum in London on the 12 th of March A few weeks later we were happy to receive a personal letter from the Commissioner s office saying that REScoops should apply for the European Fund for Strategic Investment and referring us to the right people at DG Energy who could help us with that. 1.4 Involvement of target groups and key actors in the action Our actions have mainly targeted citizens who are interested in setting up their own REScoop. In work package 5 we identified 15 local groups and referred to them as pilot projects. With the help of the mentors we applied the tools related to the REScoop business models (WP3) and the investment schemes (WP4). We also took these pilot projects on a study tour to one of the REScoop best practises and actively supported their start-up with the help of well-trained mentors. Mentors are representatives of established REScoops who expressed their willingness to support the legal start-up of these initiatives. We also targeted policy makers at the local, national and European level. We set up frequent meetings with them and organised various policy seminars. We also made up policy recommendations to foster renewable energy cooperatives throughout Europe. In Liege (BE) and Lille (FR) we also linked community power initiatives to researchers and academics. As a direct result of these actions there are now various researchers working on this emerging business model. Finally we also tried to reach the general public by setting up open information workshops, circulating news alerts, being active on social media and reaching out for the attention of local and national media. Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 6 of 36

7 1.5 Performance indicators Project performance indicators: Performance indicator WP Planned Target Actual achievement Comment on performance Public database in interactive web 2 Basic information on at least 400 We developed two databases with information on 693 European The first database contains basic platform with basic information on at existing RES projects REScoop initiatives. information on 311 initiatives that least 400 REScoops registered themselves on the project website. The second database contains basic information on 693 European REScoops. These data have been gathered through desk research. Database used for at least 800 searches a year Together the two databases were good for 914 searches. The first database was consulted 507 times, the second database was consulted 407 times. The database covers 12 countries The first database covers 13 countries; the second database covers 14 countries. Mapping of best practices in creating new citizens RES projects 2 The general public, local authorities and new RES initiatives can find stimulating best practice examples from 30 case studies 100 downloads of the best practises report in the first year We wrote 2 best practise reports, each covering 15 case studies. The best practises report was downloaded 268 times in the first year. Both reports have been published on the project website The report was downloaded 469 times throughout the project duration. The page where the report was published ultimately, was visited by 759 unique visitors. 60 organisations fill out a questionnaire about the report Only 35 organisations filled out an evaluation form. Although we invited various organisations to evaluate the report, we only received feedback of 35 organisations. Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 7 of 36

8 Sharing of results and strengthening support with the creation of a trained mentors group At least 25 mentors in searchable database 2 4 national workshops 25 mentors receive a diploma of training We organised 6 national workshops. 25 mentors received a diploma at the final workshop in Lille. We organised 2 extra workshops. The workshops have been organised in Amsterdam (NL), Bolzano (IT), Girona (ES), Copenhagen (DK), Waterford (IE) and Lille (FR). 25 mentors in searchable database The database consists of a list of 47 REScoop mentors. 14 mentors agreed on openly publishing their names and expertise on the project website. The mentor list and their personal declaration is included under WP2 Deliverable organisations fill out a participation questionnaire about meetings We gathered 58 feedback reports about the national workshops. 4 articles about the workshop in newspapers with at least readers The national workshops attained media attention but not necessarily under the form of an article in a newspaper with at least readers The national workshop in Girona was covered by the local television station. The national workshop in Bolzano was covered by the national Italian press. The publication of the best practises report and the workshop in Amsterdam was covered by an article in the Dutch press. We also wrote press releases ourselves and circulated these among various media contacts. We also shared articles, pictures and press releases of the national workshops in our news alerts and through social media. 80 feedback reports on mentors help on new REScoop initiatives We only gathered 35 feedback reports on the help of the mentors. Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 8 of 36

9 Toolbox 3 Toolbox in English, French, Spanish or Italian We composed a toolbox with tools and resources in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and German in the Country Resources section. We also created an option to incorporate new languages later on. Toolbox accessed by 400 unique users within 6 months after launch The toolbox was launched as a beta version in January 2014 and upgraded to a definite version in October Since its official launch and until the end of the project it has received 988 visits from unique visitors. We received 588 more visits than planned users/downloads from toolbox There were a total of downloads from the website and since all downloadable resources were placed within the toolbox, it is safe to say that the majority are related to it. 60% useful scores on feedback forms by unique users of toolbox We reached 96% useful scores (which is 36% more than planned). In total 112 votes were casted with an average vote of 2,9 over 3. Community action guide citizen groups download and use the community engagement guide We know that the page dedicated to the guide received 189 unique users. Tracking the use of the guide by citizens groups was not possible due to the need to request registration before downloading documents, which was rejected. 60% useful scores on feedback forms by unique users of the community engagement guide In total 63 votes were casted with an average vote of 2,9 over 3. Useful scores reached 96%. 2 workshops to develop a European Charter of citizens investing in RES initiatives 4 Create a consensus among the partners on the charter, approve the charter and publish it on the website The charter was approved by the partners of the project after 2 validation workshops. The charter was translated into 5 languages and published on the website. 60% useful feedback scores on the validation workshops of the charter Feedback was collected from the partners through a questionnaire. 100% of the feedbacks collected indicated the validation workshops were useful to very useful. The feedback scores have been added to WP2 Deliverable 2.4. Development of a handbook on citizens RES investment Schemes downloads of the financial handbook in the first year The dedicated page to download the Handbook on the website received 120 visits from unique visitors since its publication on December 12 th, The handbook has also been published on The handbook is available in three languages (English, French and German). Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 9 of 36

10 the website of a Belgian cooperative umbrella organization so there is also an multiplicator effect. 60% useful feedback scores from users of the financial handbook In total we gathered 61 votes. Over 90% of these votes turned out useful. The star rating system used to gather feedback from the users of the handbook indicate an average score of 2.9/3. Test model application in 12 projects in 10 different countries, 4 learning and 6 advanced countries 5 15 to 20 candidate projects will be identified and evaluated by leveraging consortium partner networks We started from 23 candidate projects and finally selected 15 pilot projects based on specific selection criteria. The case study report was the central monitoring tool: interim reports and final reports have been collected from partners to assess the projects development. The start-up of 12 new REScoops will be supported with technical managerial and financial advice (monitored by reports on mentoring, twinning and partnering) 12 out of 15 pilot projects have been actively supported throughout the project duration. Finally 11 new REScoops have been formally established as REScoops. The action support did not always result in the legal set up of a cooperative. The reasons are explained in the case study reports. At least 2 new REScoop projects are based in learning countries The pilot projects were based in 5 learning countries: Italy (2) France (2) Spain (1) Croatia (1) Greece (1). Two French REScoops signed a memorandum of understanding to set up new RES plants. The set-up of new RES plants corresponds to at least 24 MW (average of 2MW per plant) thanks to the action support The pilot projects only installed a production capacity of 1,7 MW between 2012 and The installation of another 59,1 MW is pending but a final investment decision could not be taken within the project duration Between 2012 and 2014 the European REScoops (that includes both pilot projects and established REScoops) invested ,00 euro in renewable energy production installations. Together these installations produced kwh in Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 10 of 36

11 Customized investment schemes to be used by existing and new REScoops (at least 12 applications within the project) The investment schemes described in the handbook on financing schemes have been applied in the 12 pilot projects. 100 million euro cumulative investment made by European stakeholders Together the pilot projects invested 6 million euro throughout the project duration. The largest investment was done by Drumlin wind coop (3,3 Million euro). Many pilot projects have project in the pipeline that might materialise in the upcoming years. All in all the European REScoops (that includes both pilot projects and established REScoops) made a cumulative investment of 977 million euro between 2012 and open basic seminars at annual RES fairs in 4 learning countries to disseminate the RES approach and to foster new initiatives 6 4 open basic seminars We organised 7 open seminars on how to set up a REScoop in Manchester (UK), Amsterdam (NL), Luxemburg (LU), Waterford (IE), Krk (HR), Loos-en-Gohelle (FR) and Lisbon (PT). We organised 3 seminars more than planned. 4 learning countries The seminars took place in 4 learning countries: Ireland, Croatia, France and Portugal. 5 broad open information workshop in countries not represented in the consortium At least 50 participants for each event 6 5 open information workshops Not all the seminars attained 50 participants, but on average we had 62 participations per seminar. We organised 5 open information workshops in Luxemburg (LU), Waterford (IE), Krk (HR), Krakow (PL) and Lisbon (PT). We attained 100 participants in Manchester (UK); 70 participants in Amsterdam (NL), 85 participants in Luxemburg (LU); 40 participants in Waterford (IE); 66 participants in Krk (HR); 26 participants in Loos-en-Gohelle (FR) and 50 participants in Lisbon (PT). Countries not represented in consortium Luxemburg, Ireland, Croatia, Poland and Portugal were not represented in the consortium. Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 11 of 36

12 Average of 50 participants per event On average these workshops attained 58 participants. The workshop in Luxemburg (LU) attained 18 participants; the one in Waterford (IE) 62 participants; the one in Krk (HR) attained 78 participants; the event in Krakow (PL) attained 80 participants and finally the one in Lisbon (PT) attained 50 participants. 1 open seminar on investment schemes 6 50 participants The event was attended by 140 participants. The seminar on financing RES and EE was organised in the light of EUSEW projects benefit from cross border funding 4 projects benefited from cross border funding as a direct result of REScoop Ecopower (BE) gave a surety to Enercoop (FR) to get a bank loan for their projects. -Ecopower (BE) gave a cross border loan to O Manne Celeste, a local REScoop in Wallonia, Belgium. -Waterland (NL), SOMenergia (ES) and BeauVent (BE) gave a loan to Boa Energia (PT) to finance their first solar project. -De Windvogel (NL) invested in a solar project in Germany after discussing and analysing the project in collaboration with EWS (DE). 5 policy seminars during federation annual meeting on specific subjects that affect new REScoops initiatives 6 5 policy seminar We organised 6 policy seminars. The policy seminars were mainly organised in the light of EUSEW 2012, 2013 and We had two additional seminars in Luxemburg (LU) and Brussels (BE). The latter was in close collaboration with the Community Power project. Average of 30 participants On average the policy seminars were attended by 90 attendees. The participants lists have been included in the reports. Press coverage The seminars attained press coverage. Participation by various international stakeholders (e.g., energy market regulators and relevant EU institutions) The seminars were attended by various international stakeholders. Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 12 of 36

13 Deliver recommendations to EU and national Governments on fiscal, legal and authorisation policies to increase the success rate of new RES projects 6 At least 5 meetings with EU institution representatives We organised 8 meetings with EU representatives The minutes of these meetings have been included under WP6 Deliverable 6.2. The policy recommendations have been included under WP6 Deliverable 6.3. Create a project internet portal unique visitors of the website In 32 months the website received visitors. The website was launched in June 2012 but the related traffic statistics only began to be tracked as of September 22 nd 2012 (four months later). Launch a media campaign in 10 countries 7 10 European countries 12 countries: Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Croatia, Greece, South Korea, Poland, Spain and (by extension European and other international media coverage). The website attained more visitors than expected. Partners contacted and followed up with media representatives in their particular countries. The European and international media representatives were contacted and followed up by EMES. In addition additional countries where the project received media attention include: Croatia, Greece, South Korea, Poland and Spain. 80 media publications o 50 articles in local newspapers o 15 radio interviews o 15 mentions in local television We gathered 61 traditional media publications o 41 articles in local newspapers o 1 radio interview o 6 mentions in local television The categories evolved organically with the project. Beside articles in local newspapers, radio interview and being mentioned in local television we also gathered 5 academic research pieces and 8 references on other websites. We do have to stress that newspapers, radio and television are rather traditional media sources. Today news is easily spread by means of social media. REScoop has been very active on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. These communication channels should also count as media appearances. Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 13 of 36

14 1 EU level seminar 7 At least 150 participants We organised 2 EU level seminars and had 99 participants in total. However, if we also count the additional policy seminar (D6.2) that we organised on October 6th, 2014 we easily reach the target of 150 participants. This high level policy seminar was organised in close collaboration with the Community Power project and ManagEnergy. The event had the Scottish minister for Energy as a key note speaker. 7 Direct involvement of shareholders The European REScoop movement directly involves shareholders. The total number of shareholders was counted for Ecopower (BE), REScoop.be (BE), Enercoop (FR), REScoopNL (NL), Energy4All (UK), DGRV (DE), EWS (DE), E Nostra (IT), Elabora (IT) and Somenergia (ES). 5% reduction in electricity consumption On average the members consumed 19% less energy in 2014 compared to These consumption data have been monitored for the largest REScoops that supply energy to their members: Ecopower (BE), Somenergia (ES) and EWS (DE). The average consumption per household was only kwh in In Liege (BE) there is a PhD student trying to explain why members of REScoops consume less than customers of a regular energy supplier. A brand new H2020 project proposal, referred to as REScoop Plus, wants to further investigate this decreasing trend. Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 14 of 36

15 IEE Common performance indicators: Our current performances on the IEE targets have been included under WP8 Deliverable 8.2. Within the duration of the action Common Performance indicator Cumulative investment (Euro) Renewable Energy (toe/year) Primary energy savings (toe/year) Reduction GHG emissions (t CO2e/year) Planned target Actual achievement Comment on performance The European REScoop movement jointly invested euro between 2011 and Together these REScoops welcomed new members and had an outstanding capital of ,00 euro. In 2014 these REScoops produced kwh According to the International Energy Agency 1 1 toe corresponds to kwh. The European REScoops jointly produced kwh in This means that the production of renewable energy counts for toe/year ( kwh/ kwh) Renewable energy of the European REScoops counts for toe/year and according to the European Environment Agency 2 the average energy efficiency of thermal power production in Europe is 50%. As a result the primary energy savings are toe/year ( toe/year/50%) According to figure 4 on the website of the European Environment Agency 3 the average CO 2 intensity of the EU Member States represented in the consortium were 6 tonnes per toe. Based on the renewable energy performance of toe/year we saved tonnes of C0 2 per year ( toe/year x 6 tonnes per toe) Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 15 of 36

16 By 2020 Common Performance indicator Cumulative investment (Euro) Renewable Energy (toe/year) Primary energy savings (toe/year) Reduction GHG emissions (t CO2e/year) Planned target Actual achievement Comment on performance We already reached the 2020 target within the duration of the project but we stay ambitious for the upcoming years. 5 REScoops are now involved in REScoop MECISE (Horizon 20-20) where they committed themselves to jointly invest another 30 million euro by As a result of unstable legislative frameworks at the European and the national level leading to unstable support mechanisms for renewable energy production (cf. Implementation of State Aid Guidelines) it is hard to say much about our common targets for We already reached the 2020 target within the duration of the project but we stay ambitious for the upcoming years We already reached the 2020 target within the duration of the project but we stay ambitious for the upcoming years We already reached the 2020 target within the duration of the project but we stay ambitious for the upcoming years. 1.6 Important problems and deviations from Annex I It turned out hard for the pilot projects to successfully invest in renewable energy projects within the limited time frame of the project duration. The development of renewable energy projects requires more than three years to materialise and this does not only apply to REScoops. In addition, an overall tendency of EU Member States to cut or abolish feed-in-tariffs and other related support mechanisms for renewable energy production made it even harder for new projects to materialise between 2012 and Despite an unstable legislative framework at the national level both pilot projects and established REScoops still have many RES projects in the pipeline that will probably materialise in the near future. Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 16 of 36

17 2 Performance review by work package 2.1 Work package 1: Management Objectives The main objective in WP1 was to ensure a timely, lean and effective project development. Ecopower was named project coordinator and took all the actions needed to manage the project successfully. The main objectives related to WP1 were: To organise regular project meetings and conference calls; To ensure a good communication with all the beneficiaries; To report our actions in two progress reports, one interim report and one final report; To make up a consortium agreement that settles the internal rules for the consortium members Major activities and achievements D1.1 - The final technical implementation report including the final version of the project deliverables and the financial statement was written by Daan Creupelandt (Ecopower) after receiving input from the other workpackage leaders. The final version of the report was then circulated to the members. Dirk Vansintjan (Ecopower) wrote down our main project findings in the technical implementation report. The report also outlines some important policy recommendations to foster social acceptance for renewable energy projects and to lead the energy transition towards energy democracy. The final results oriented report was printed as a small booklet which allows us to easily spread our main results. We hope to have the booklet available in French, Spanish, Italian, German and Dutch by the end of 2015 (printable PDF). D1.2 Ecopower organised and/or co-organised 8 successful project meetings in various EU Member States: Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland and France. Ecopower also organised 14 conference calls with the workpackage leaders to discuss the daily progress of the work. Ecopower made up minutes of these meetings and conferences and share these with all the other beneficiaries. D1.3 In close collaboration with the workpackage leaders Ecopower made up two progress reports and one interim report. The feedback given by the project officer was then shared with the other beneficiaries and corrective actions were taken where needed. Ecopower also took up the role of financial coordinator of the project. We provided the beneficiaries with instructions on how to use their budgets and ensured that the requested financial information (e.g., invoices, timesheets and financial statement) was gathered in time. We also made sure that both the interim and the final financial statements complied to the high quality standards of the EASME. D1.4 Ecopower wrote the consortium agreement, an internal document describing the main rules for the beneficiaries regarding some important issues: internal organisation and management, intellectual property and confidentiality arrangements, settlement of internal disputes and detailed management of financial resources. The file was signed by all the project beneficiaries soon after the project started officially. Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 17 of 36

18 2.1.3 Assessment of the performed work Behind a successful project there is always a successful coordinator, someone to coordinate the actions, to monitor the performances and to initiate corrective actions where needed. Having a close look into the performance indicators we believe that REScoop turned out to be a great success. The REScoop concept, energy democracy and citizen-owned RES projects were largely unknown back in 2012 but are now hot issues amongst European policy makers. Ecopower has been particularly important for this success. We managed the consortium with great success and took all the actions needed to ensure a lean and effective project development. 2.2 Work package 2: Identifying REScoop best practices and mentors for dissemination Objectives The main objective in WP2 was to identify the existing REScoops and gather basic information about their projects. The collected data would then result in the set-up of an interactive database that could be consulted on the project website. Using specific selection criteria we would then select 30 best practises. These best in class REScoops and their business models would be analysed and reported upon in a so called best practises report. From these best practises the consortium would identify at least 25 mentors. These are representatives of European REScoops who have already proved to have specific expertise and capabilities to successfully set up RES projects. The mentors would be trained in 4 national workshops and finally receive a diploma, a quality label explaining that they are experts on how to set up or manage citizen-owned renewable energy projects. The trainees would then commit themselves and actively support starting REScoops all over Europe Major activities and achievements D2.1 Although we expected to find only 400 European REScoops, we soon learned that there are more than REScoop initiatives out there. These REScoops are mainly situated in Western European countries. The REScoop business model seems very popular in Germany where national legislation fosters locally produced renewable energy. Due to communism the term cooperative still has a very bad connotation in Central and Eastern European countries which immediately explains why we couldn t find any REScoops over there. Our database now contains basic information of 693 initiatives. For privacy reasons these data are not publicly available on our project website. D2.2 - Using the extended version of the database we then circulated questionnaires to these initiatives with a request to register themselves on our project map. Approaching these initiatives in their own language and following up on them by telephoned turned out very important to convince the REScoops to join efforts. In collaboration with the Repower map initiative we finally succeeded in designing an interactive map where all European REScoops could register their projects. Today 311 REScoops have put themselves on the map. Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 18 of 36

19 D2.3 The data collection learned that the existing REScoops differ to a great extent from one another and that their business models are often adapted to the local circumstances. These circumstances do not only encompass the legal framework, but also national support schemes for renewable energy production, the legitimacy of the word cooperative or even the availability of renewable energy sources in the local area. From the identified REScoop initiatives ODE-NL finally selected 30 best practises, based on specific criteria (e.g., speed in authorisation process, involvement of stakeholders, technical and economic quality of the project, financing schemes and participation of citizens, grid connection and sale of energy, et cetera). The best practises report is available on the project website and was downloaded 469 times throughout the project duration. At least 100 printed copies were distributed at events that we organised ourselves or that we attended as a participant or speaker. We still have copies available that we will distribute at future events. D2.4 From these 30 best practises the consortium finally selected 49 mentors: experts who have the experience of developing RES projects and/or running a successful cooperative. These experts expressed their willingness to help and support starting REScoops by signing the so called declaration of REScoop pioneers. Although there were only 4 national workshops foreseen in annex I of the grant agreement, the mentors finally gathered 6 times. The national workshops often coincided with project meetings and/or other related leveraging activities making it easier for both partners and mentors to meet on a regular basis. Each national workshop had its own particular focus. In Ireland the mentor training sessions mainly focussed on biomass, while the workshop in Denmark emphasized district heating systems. The Italian workshop on the other hand addressed grid operations and balancing activities. Finally 25 mentors received an official diploma at the national workshop in Lille (FR). In fact the diploma serves as a quality label expressing the overall capability of a certain mentor provide a starting REScoop with high quality information and expertise. On the project website we publicly listed the names and contacts of 14 mentors which allows starting initiatives to contact them directly in case they need action support to launch their projects. Throughout the project duration the REScoop mentors supported 83 starting REScoops. Although it was not a formal project deliverable, we included a report on the support under WP2 Deliverable Assessment of the performed work D2.1 - Although we expected to find 400 REScoops, we gathered basic information of 693 initiatives. 311 of these initiatives have registered themselves on our project map after they were sent a personal invitation. Approaching them in their local language was the key to receive their input. The two databases cover 14 countries and have been consulted 914 times throughout the project duration. It is not surprising that we are pleased with the results although it doesn t mean that we will settle with that. We know that there are more than REScoops out there and gathering data of the entire REScoop movement remains an important challenge for the future. D2.2 We added an interactive section to the website by including a map where REScoops can register their initiatives. The REScoop map was included on the front page of the website to maximize outreach and to give the homepage an appealing look. So far 311 REScoops have put themselves on the map. We will try to increase that number beyond the project duration. Google Analytics proves that the website Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 19 of 36

20 has been consulted times by unique users. An average visit lasted for 3 minutes and resulted in a bounce rate of 42,93% (cf. D7.1). D2.3 A printed version of the best practises report has been distributed at two policy seminar (i.e., European Sustainable Energy Week in 2013 and 2014). We received many positive reactions on these reports. Various policy makers and EU institution representatives indicated that the reports give a great overview of how REScoops and their business models can differ from one another. The webpage where the best practises report could be downloaded attracted 759 unique visitors. The reports were downloaded 469 times. D2.4 Although we were only expected to organise 4 national workshops, we used remaining travel budgets to set up two additional national workshops. Finally 25 mentors received a diploma at the final workshop in Lille. The national workshops caught the attention of the local media, although it did not always result in articles in newspapers with a least readers. The national workshop in Girona for instance was covered by the local television, while the national workshop in Bolzano was covered by the national press. A local newspaper wrote an article about the workshop in Amsterdam (NL) where the first idea was raised to set up REScoopNL. The other workshops did not get much media coverage despite our effort to write and circulate press releases. 58 rather than 60 feedback reports were gathered to evaluate the quality of the training sessions and the responsible work package leader (ODE) was not able to gather feedback on how mentors supported starting REScoops. 2.3 Work package 3: Design REScoop business models for new citizens RES projects Objectives The main objective in WP3 was to set up a more detailed data collection in order to make an analysis of the existing REScoop business models. With the use of the mentors and the project beneficiaries we also wanted to develop an action guide that would describe how REScoops can actively involve and manage stakeholders in renewable energy projects. A third objective was to develop a practical toolbox where starting initiatives could find useful information and resources to develop their own REScoop Major activities and achievements D3.1 In order to support starting REScoops we designed a toolbox with country specific information and tools on how to set up and/or manage a REScoop. These resources are often only relevant for specific regions so we decided to make them available as country specific resources. The resources are available in various local languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and German. There is a feature to include more languages later on. The toolbox is complementary to the other reports and contains best practice summaries, case studies of existing REScoops, options for business structures, templates for statutes, et cetera. Linked to the toolbox we also developed a forum where citizens and starting initiatives can get into contact with the REScoop mentors. Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 20 of 36

21 D3.2 Based on the European REScoops that have been identified under WP2, we finally made a more profound analysis of their business models. The data collection consisted of both a qualitative and a quantitative section. The final sample consists of 107 REScoops from 7 different EU Member States. The analysis was used to describe the sample based on specific criteria such as country distribution, energy sources, number of members and age. The qualitative section then allowed to identify a typology of six REScoop categories: local citizen groups, regional-national REScoops, fully integrated REScoops, networks, multi-stakeholder models and non-energy-focused initiatives. These categories can be connected to contingency variables such as organizational lifecycle and socio-cultural context. Although we cannot generalize these findings for the whole REScoop movement, the analysis provided us with some useful insights. The main findings have been included the report on the existing business models. The report describes the different steps of the research process and paves the way for future analysis on a broader sample of REScoops once more data will be available. D3.3 A step-by-step action guide has been designed to support new citizen initiatives engaging in renewable energy production or supply. The different steps have been identified thanks to the best practises report (WP2) and the discussions with the consortium. Finally five dimensions describe how and where citizens can get engaged: 1) governance and management; 2) Financing; 3) Production; 4) Consumption; 5) Informing and empowering the community. All the partners have been involved by giving inputs for the analysis, feedback on the proposed structure for the guide and on different draft versions Assessment of the performed work D3.1 - The development of the toolbox took longer than expected so that the final version was only launched in October In a few months time the toolbox attracted 988 rather than 400 unique visitors. The toolbox now contains resources in six rather than three languages and there is an option to include more languages later on. In total there were downloads from the website and since all the downloadable resources were placed in the toolbox, it is safe to say that the majority of these downloads were related to it. In total we gathered 112 feedback reports on the toolbox of which 107 or 96% were relevant. D3.2 A qualitative and statistical analysis resulted in a report that describes the existing REScoop business models. Although the report provided some interesting insight, we realise that a sample of 107 REScoops spread in 7 EU Member States does not allow to draw general conclusions for the whole European REScoop movement. In many occasions language constraints turned out to be a barrier. Having access to updated information and data remains a real challenge here. D3.3 It was not possible to track how many times the community actions guide was downloaded but we know that the landing page for the action guide was visited by 189 rather than 100 unique users. We received 63 feedback scores on the guide of which 60 or 96% turned out relevant. All in all the guide receive an average vote of 2,9 over 3. Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 21 of 36

22 2.4 Work package 4: Development of REScoop investment schemes for EU wide application Objectives The main objective of WP4 was to get a better view on how existing REScoops finance their projects and how their successes and failures could help the pilot projects under WP5. We would therefore analyse the financial barriers that existing REScoops face to launch their projects and see whether they found solutions to overcome these barriers. The findings would be included in a report and then be used as a basis to develop an handbook on investment schemes Major activities and achievements D4.1 By means of in-depth interviews with relevant stakeholders (even stakeholders outside the energy sector) we identified financial barriers and existing solutions for developing RES projects. The barriers encompass cultural, political, economic, managerial, legal and administrative issues but most of them can be overcome as we learned from the existing REScoops. Our findings have been included in a high quality report which has been published on the project website. D4.2 In close collaboration with a financial subcontractor and the other beneficiaries, Enercoop conducted interviews with various relevant stakeholders. In the handbook we described nine existing financing schemes ranging from self-financing to the set-up of a cooperative fund on the European level. The handbook then suggests 5 innovative investment schemes and how these could be valuable for REScoops. The handbook is available in English, German and French which is necessary if we want it to be used by local groups and citizens. We soon learned that there is a strong need for a financial facilitation service amongst the European REScoops. REScoop.eu for instance could link the available financial resources of the existing REScoops to the projects of starting REScoops since the latter often face difficulties to find proper financing. REScoop.eu could also look for a way to keep large-scale RES projects into the hands of citizens. The consortium finally submitted a new Horizon 2020 project in order to look into these options in the upcoming years. REScoop MECISE acronym for mobilizing European citizens in sustainable energy was accepted by the EASME and kicked-off in D4.3 and D4.4 The European REScoop charter defines the shared ethical values and the common vision of the European REScoop movement towards future investments. These values and the procedure to select the pilot projects under WP5 have been discussed upon in two outstanding validation workshops in Brussels and Manchester. The final charter was translated into 5 languages and then published on the website Assessment of the performed work D4.1 and D4.1 - The report on the financial barriers was closely linked to the financial handbook. The page dedicated to the handbook was only made on 12 December, 2014 but already attained 120 unique visits ever since. That is 20 more than initially foreseen in annex I of the grant agreement. The handbook was translated in English, French and German to overcome language constraints. As a direct result of the financial report and the financial handbook, the consortium wrote a project proposal called REScoop Final Technical Implementation Report REScoop Page 22 of 36