The project launch of "COMPILE Integrating Community Power in Energy Islands" took place at the kick-off meeting on 8 and 9 November 2018 in the premises of JOANNEUM RESEARCH in Vienna. Within three and a half years, Local Energy Communties (LEC) are being implemented in five EU countries under the leadership of the University of Ljubljana within the framework of an international consortium. LECs extend the existing concept of microgrids, which focuses primarily on the technical base of independent and part-independent network territories by extending the technical level to the level of actors, roles and corresponding business models. The regulatory basis for this is created by the new EU electricity market directive. Specifically, this provides that no established market players organize LECs, but SMEs, co-operatives or communities. This will lead to new business models and value chains and significantly accelerate the spread of renewable energies in the coming years.
LIFE, the Center for Climate, Energy and Society of JOANNEUM RESEARCH, is a key scientific partner who will take over part of the technical research and all accompanying research. Technical research includes new methods and algorithms of weather-dependent forecasts of generation and consumption for a large number of small renewable generation units. Accompanying research assesses the climate impact of solutions using a life-cycle analysis (LCA), driving the development of new business models and regulatory frameworks, and examining the social factors responsible for creating a Local Energy Community.
LIFE will receive € 585,000 in EU funding for this through Horizon 2020.
The project partners are the University of Ljubljana as coordinator, ETRA I & D (Spain), ICCS (Greece), Petrol (Slovenia), ETREL (Slovenia), RESCoop.eu (Belgium), Distribuidora Electrica Crevillent (Spain), Ideaz Storitve (Slovenia), Coopernico (Portugal), Municipality Rafina Pikermi (Greece), Zelena Energetska Zadruga (Croatia)
Contact: Andreas Türk, MBA