Beli Breg in Ruma: Inter-municipal Knowledge Exchange as a Driver for Energy Transition
As part of our commitment to scaling the energy community model, representatives from the PET recently presented the Beli Breg project in Ruma. This visit is a key component of our outreach and dissemination strategy under the "Better cohesion through development of energy communities in the Western Balkans" framework.
While our primary focus remains on the Beli Breg community in Vranje, PET’s mission is to ensure that the solutions developed here are replicable across other municipalities. The presentation in Ruma allowed us to share critical lessons learned during Phase 1 of the project, which focuses on laying the social, organizational, and legal foundations for a Renewable Energy Community (REC).
Key Themes of the Knowledge Exchange:
Community Activation (Step 1): Marko Nedeljković presented PET’s methodology for building a core group of motivated participants and clarifying roles within the REC.
Addressing Energy Poverty: We discussed how the Beli Breg model tackles rising energy costs in rural households and supports communities with limited investment capacity.
Governance and Shared Assets (Step 2): The discussion focused on a democratic governance model that ensures local ownership and keeps energy value within the village.
Data-Driven Feasibility (Step 3): We demonstrated the tools used for collecting energy consumption data to ensure the community's early-stage feasibility.
Strategic Impact
This outreach effort directly contributes to our Phase 1 performance indicators, specifically increasing our cumulative online reach and engaging "peer villages" in the wider region. By acting as a "Lighthouse" project, Beli Breg is providing a roadmap for Ruma and other municipalities to accelerate their own energy transitions.
2023CE160AT160
