Workshop in Italy on Consumer Participation in Local Renewable Energy Projects

The objective of this workshop, that took place on February 7, 2020, was to present the CSOP Model and the advantages for the consumers to participate in local emerging energy communities within the Susa Valley. Therefore the SCORE partners AMICO along with Caritas Germany and Polito Turino organized a first exchange workshop which addressed in particular low-income households. By presenting first ideas the participants had the opportunity to report from their own precarious energy situation and give feedback to the matter. As a result almost all participants showed interest in the presented finance inclusion model. Some with higher expenditures for electricity and heating also stressed that they like to cooperate in this project if this helps them to reduce their costs. Following the general presentation the workshop participants were subsequently requested to rate the benefits of the CSOP. The result showed that the environmental aspects and the local and independently generated energy through an active energy community are the most important motives for the participants. In addition, the economical advantages in particular the benefits of low investments and a low financial risk through the CSOP operating company were important but not the first argument. It is also noteworthy that the focus group participants rated “small additional income” very low. This is all the more remarkable as we expected that the financial benefits would be the biggest incentive for this group.