Getting to know Local Energy Communities. Dissemination and information about LECs

CSO: Grupo de Desarrollo Rural Campiña Alcores
Area: Local Energy communities
Location: Ecija y Viso de Alcor (Province of Seville)

Type of project

Raise awareness among the general public and those most disconnected from Local Energy Communities about the following basic aspects: Climate change and the challenges we face; What a LEC is; Who can benefit from them; How they work; What economic and social benefits they can bring to both the region and individuals; Who the main players in the energy business are; Differences between energy producers, distributors and marketers through awareness and information campaigns and informative meetings and talks in both municipalities.

12 months of duration.

It is essential that society as a whole is aware of the challenges we face in relation to climate change and energy poverty, and of the need to promote the use of clean, sustainable and environmentally friendly energy. Local Energy Communities (LECs) have been developing rapidly in recent years as a vehicle for communicating all these ideas; however, the general public is unaware of the benefits of these communities.

Target (Disengaged)

Directly mobilised citizens: Students, educational centres, local authorities, companies, associations (neighbourhood, cultural, sports, gastronomic, women’s, parents’ associations, etc.) and cooperatives. 200 people.

Disengaged citizens: 1,100 uninvolved people.

Other agents: 2 town councils and municipal technical services.

The outreach strategy includes accessible, face-to-face and local spaces, such as meetings in neighbourhood centres, travelling information stands in squares and municipal markets, and informative talks in associations. These actions will address everyday concerns, such as electricity bills and thermal comfort in homes, as entry points for discussing community energy and the climate crisis. Special attention will be paid to involving municipal institutions that were initially unconnected (such as non-environmental areas of local councils, social service centres, and trade associations) through specific information meetings and personalised technical support. The working methodology is based on a participatory and accessible approach, moving beyond the passive communication model and committing to an active advocacy strategy that ‘goes out to meet’ the public. The activities are designed to adapt to the codes of each group, build trust through dialogue, and offer practical, understandable and useful examples.

The intervention is aimed at involving people who are traditionally distant from climate action: families affected by energy poverty, older people, young people without links to associations, small traders, and people with no previous experience in environmental or energy participation. These groups will be approached from spaces of trust (local associations, neighbourhood networks) with accessible and practical proposals.

Science – Based

Support materials in the form of visuals and narratives will be developed, including infographics, educational fact sheets, short videos and consumption maps. These materials will facilitate understanding of concepts such as emissions, self-consumption, energy balance and energy poverty. The project’s empirical basis will come from real data on the production, consumption and savings indicators of the CEL Toda Sevilla Energy Community, which will be shared with participants in an educational manner.

Activities will include using simple energy simulators, holding sessions on ‘myths and truths about climate change’ and playing role-playing games to help participants understand the impact of individual and collective decisions. These activities will encourage critical thinking, the interpretation of basic data, and confidence in proven scientific solutions. Scientific evidence will also be used to support the project’s key messages.

Gender

It is based on the recognition that climate change affects women and men differently and that there are gender barriers to accessing information and participating in collective processes, such as energy communities. In order to reverse this situation, the project will prioritise the active involvement of women as beneficiaries, facilitators and leaders. Women’s associations in both municipalities will be contacted directly, and specific content on energy poverty from a gender perspective will be created to highlight the fact that women, especially carers, suffer more intensely from the effects of cold and heat in homes with low energy efficiency. Activities will be adapted in terms of timetable, format and language to facilitate effective participation, including providing support for work-life balance where necessary. Additionally, the project evaluation will collect data disaggregated by sex, and it will include examples of women leaders in the local energy and environmental sector. This aims to strengthen their role as agents of change and break stereotypes associated with technical and collective issues.

Planned activities

Increased public understanding of the climate crisis and the role of community energy as a tool for mitigation and adaptation. Increased real involvement of citizens and unrelated institutions in community energy transition processes. Strengthened capacities of local actors (municipal technicians, associations) to act as multipliers and ensure the sustainability and replicability of the process.

Action model

Introductory workshops on energy transition and climate change will be held in neighbourhood, sports, cultural, women’s and senior citizens’ associations, using myth or truth dynamics, explanatory infographics and visual panels with CEL data in public spaces. In addition, travelling information stands will be set up in squares, municipal markets and local fairs, advisory meetings will be held with local associations interested in joining a CEL, and guided tours of self-consumption facilities will be organised, together with energy simulation workshops and public conferences on the CEL model and the dissemination of an illustrated practical guide to starting an energy community. Finally, training sessions are planned for technical staff of local councils on energy communities and local policies, coordination meetings with non-environmental municipal areas (social services, education, urban planning) and specific training on energy poverty with a gender perspective. Technical support will be provided to entities and individuals interested in replicating actions or joining the CEL model, culminating in a public event to disseminate the results.