LIGHTNESS is a Horizon 2020 EU funded project carried out by 13 partners from across Europe that aim to increase the penetration of Renewable Energy Sources, to achieve the EU target for 2030 of at least 32% of final energy consumption. All that by supporting the market uptake of Citizen Energy Communities through a low-cost turnkey social engagement, regulatory roadmap and technological package to unlock their full flexibility potential, reduce the final energy consumption and CO2 emissions and bring economic, social and environmental benefits to the communities and across the energy value chain.

The power of this project lays in its holistic approach. User engagement, regulatory assessment, technology evolution, simulation and assessment, case study deployment, demonstration & replicability all are aspects of the project grouped in work packages. i.LECO actively takes part in all work packages and additionally leads work package 4 – “Evolution and integration of the CEC platform” (CEC – Citizen Energy Communities). 

LIGHTNESS has started in December 2020 and will take 36 months to complete. First 24 months we will focus on bringing to life energy communities in 5 European countries: the Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain and Poland. That includes a lot of activities as at first we have to check what are legal limitations and inhibitors, create business models, engage people and of course prepare a platform, which supports scenarios for all cases. Sounds like a challenge, which we all are very excited about.  

If you find this project interesting, you have to visit the website – https://www.lightness-project.eu/ . We know it’s not enough, so there are our social media accounts where you can follow news and project progress: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram

Don’t forget to also visit i.LECO website as we will publish some additional information as well and comment on the project from i.LECO perspective.