EU Horizon 2020 programme RENAISSANCE survey seeks views on renewable energy and local power generation
RENAISSANCE, the EU Horizon 2020 research programme led by the VUB research group MOBI, is exploring new ways to make energy more efficient, cheaper and sustainable through local electricity grids. Such microgrids make citizens both producers and consumers of energy at the same time. To find out whether we are all ready for such a change, the RENAISSANCE project team developed a questionnaire.
Project coordinator Professor Thierry Coosemans: “Local consumers want cheap and trouble-free energy. A consumer-driven energy supply that also relies on renewable energies can be a solution. But what is the consumer’s own attitude towards such energy communities? Are they willing to co-invest or install innovative solutions themselves? Or do they support their municipality in such a set-up?”
It takes about 20 minutes to complete the questionnaire. The English version can be found here and it is also available in Dutch, French, Italian, Greek and Spanish.
The RENAISSANCE project
The RENAISSANCE project aims to strengthen the use of wind and solar energy by developing local energy grids and communities in which citizens and businesses are both consumers and producers. Local grids also enable the trade of energy within and between communities, increasing the amount of locally produced energy and the share of renewable energy as a whole. The project uses a methodology that focuses on co-creation and develops a software platform to design energy communities. RENAISSANCE wants to apply this methodology to several countries in all continents
The RENAISSANCE consortium received €6 million from the EU. It was launched in May 2019 and runs until April 2022. More information on the RENAISSANCE project can be found at www.renaissance-h2020.eu.