Header image

Active citizens

Active citizens: Energy communities & Co

The restructuring of the energy system means a paradigm shift in many areas. For example, electricity will no longer be produced in just a few very large power plants in the future. Instead, wind turbines and photovoltaic systems (PV systems) will provide clean electricity throughout Austria.

Achieving this goal will require cooperation between the federal government, provinces, municipalities and citizens. Ultimately, it is a question of acceptance within the population if appropriate areas and dedications are available. Participating in the energy transition also means not voting against wind power - even if these wind turbines are within sight. In the second step, there are various ways to actively participate in the energy transition yourself. This can be done by installing a PV system on your own roof, for example. Within the framework of energy communities, players can then come together and share the energy generated. This makes it possible to consume, store and/or sell electricity.In many areas, the energy transition relies on active citizens, so-called prosumers. In addition to self-production of electricity, in future this could also include providing the power from the battery in your own electric car to relieve the strain on the grids. But organizing car pools could also be an aspect of making mobility more sustainable.

We provide answers

The Austrian Energy Agency has successfully implemented stakeholder processes, consulting services and training courses in numerous projects. The combination of extensive specialist expertise in the field of energy together with extensive experience in conducting workshops and similar formats is an asset of the Austrian Energy Agency.

Contact person

Employee Pic of Karina Knaus

Head of Center Economy, Consumers & Prices

Karina Knaus, PhD

Email addresskarina.knaus@energyagency.at
Employee pic of Christoph Dolna-Gruber

Strategy & Business Development

Mag. (FH) Christoph Dolna-Gruber, BSc

Email addresschristoph.gruber@energyagency.at

Projects

SaveEnergyTogether

Boosting joint emergency energy efficiency first interventions

to the project
Image - font logo of save energy together

Overview

SaveEnergyTogether is an EU-project that aims to help consumers plan and implement simple and affordable measures that can achieve significant energy savings, and to influence decision-makers in planning energy reduction measures by providing data on changing consumer habits and energy savings.

"MitBestimmt Klimafit"

Online guide for the participatory design of climate-friendly public spaces

to the project

Overview

In MitBestimmt Klimafit, we are developing an online guide that supports municipalities in involving relevant stakeholders and citizens when planning and implementing a climate-friendly transformation of public spaces. The interactive online guide accompanies municipalities step by step through the implementation of a citizen participation process.

Shares

Empowering Communities

to the project

Overview

SHAREs is an EU-funded initiative and supports so-called local heroes in setting up or expanding their energy community by building up national one-stop-shops.

Participating in energy communities allows consumers to become renewable energy producers, improve energy efficiency, store heat and power, feed energy back into the grid and offer their demand flexibility to the market. Individual consumers thus become collective prosumers.