RENALDO - Rural Development through Renewable Energy Sources ⋆ 100% erneuerbar

Advancing the market penetration of the collective prosumer model in rural Poland.

In order to positively shape the transition of a region to renewable energies in terms of sustainable development of the local economy, innovative market models are required. The so-called collective prosumer models turn members of energy cooperatives into both producers and consumers of energy and inspire the actors in the region to drive the energy transition. Lighthouse projects illustrate how collective prosumer models work, what advantages they offer for society, the economy and the environment and thus benefit people in Poland who have little experience with energy cooperatives. These pilot projects in six selected municipalities generate the necessary empirical knowledge so that the existing regulatory and institutional framework can be adapted.

The project

First of all, a manual for the establishment and operation of energy cooperatives will be created, which is based on procedures that have proven themselves in Poland, Germany and other EU member states. This is being tested in two pilot municipalities in the provinces of Podlaskie and Kuyavian-Pomeranian.

In a second step, further energy cooperatives will be established in four other municipalities in Podlaskie and Kuyavian-Pomeranian. At the same time, RENALDO supports the municipalities in drawing up business plans to ensure the profitability of the energy cooperatives. In addition, the experiences and findings are analyzed and used to adapt the regulatory and institutional framework accordingly and to apply proven methods in other Polish regions.

Finally, the project results will be presented to political decision-makers from other Polish regions and interested municipalities.

The 100 prozent erneuerbar stiftung is implementing the project as a project partner together with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (implementing partner) and the Polish project partner organizations KPODR – Kujawsko-Pomorski Ośrodek Doradztwa Rolniczego and the ACTIVUS foundation.

The RENALDO project is made possible by funding from the Structural Reform Support Program (SRSP) of the European Commission and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).