Produced by German Citizen Energy Alliance BBEn & FechnerMEDIA

The main topic of this course is citizen energy — what it means, why it matters, and how you can actively participate in it. You can then scale up to build an energy community or work within an energy cooperative. This course will show you the key levers to promote equity so that the energy cooperative model embraces people of all income levels, nationalities, and genders. The course will guide you on how to plan and manage finances, understand funding and invest together in your own region, with case studies to illustrate how to manage finances and funding

Course 1: Introduction to Citizen Energy

This course is the first one out of 7 EUCENA courses going online in 2022. You will be introduced to Citizen Energy, what it is and what can you changes you can do with it.

Practical examples from Germany, Greece, and Croatia will show different will show the diversity of actions and find out what motivates people to start producing renewable electricity together.

Legal forms, samples of business models, and whole community energy ecosystems will give first impressions about the vivid and just way of taking energy production into our own hands.

Course 2: The Social Component, Mobilization and Networking

The second course will lead you through steps to find others with similar intentions as you, how can you deal with challenges and how you can communicate your goals. How can you and your group develop further and bring prosperity for all in each phase. Women have a key role in energy communities. You will find tools for empowerment and awareness raising.

Course 3: Renewable Energy Production and Usage

In the third course you will learn about the potential of solar energy and you will see examples of various implementations of photovoltaic (PV) systems. Starting at roofs, facades, highways or free field systems. You will also learn how to harmonise solar technology with nature conservation and what alternative ways of engaging people in planning and building these power plants.

One chapter is dealing with the next level of production, with wind power plants from a single cooperative municipal wind turbine to wind farms and details of planning and financing them. you will also find out who are the people behind it and see an example of a women's energy cooperative mainly active in wind energy. The third element of the energy transition is storage and usage.

You will learn about simple stationary storage systems and the so called batteries on wheels, simply integrating electric vehicle batteries in the power system. About cooperative car sharing schemes and charging infrastructures. As last find out about the concept of the innovative energy-sharing.

Course 5: Management and Founding of Energy Communities