Beli Breg REC – Citizen Shared Energy
Status: In Progress (Phase 1)
Location: Serbia, Vranje, Beli breg Community
Duration: 6 months (Phase 1)
Funded by: European Union, Regione Emilia-Romagna, ART-ER
About the Project
The Beli breg REC - Citizen Shared Energy project is a pilot program designed to establish the foundations for a Renewable Energy Community (REC) in the City of Vranje. This first phase focuses on building the social, organizational, legal, and data-related infrastructure necessary for citizens to produce and share clean energy.
By addressing rising energy poverty, inefficient housing, and high heating costs in the Beli breg community, the project aims to create a sustainable model for energy independence. A key innovation is the creation of an energy-solidarity fund to support vulnerable households within the community.
Project Objectives & Phases
The implementation is divided into four strategic steps:
Step 1 - Stakeholders engagement and community activation: Engaging over 100 residents and training at least 5 volunteer "Energy Ambassadors".
Step 2 - Vision and governance model definition: Developing a democratic decision-making model and a formal non-profit legal structure.
Step 3 - Energy data collection and REC Financial plan: Utilizing the ART-ER Energy Management Tool to analyze consumption and design a fair energy-sharing model.
Step 4 - Legal establishment of the organisation acting as a REC: Formally registering the REC in accordance with Serbian laws on Renewable Energy Sources (LoURES).
Key Performance Indicators (Phase 1)
Outreach: Minimum of 8 public events and workshops.
Media Presence: At least 10 media mentions and a cumulative online reach in the hundreds of thousands.
Engagement: Collecting more than 50 expressions of interest from local residents.
Membership: Enrolling at least 10 founding members into the REC.
Partners
Platform for Energy Transition (PET): Responsible for overall project management, technical coordination, and regulatory guidance.
City of Vranje: Leading local mobilization, resident facilitation, and trust-building efforts.
ART-ER (Italy): Providing the technical framework, capacity-building training, and monitoring tools.
Photo by Чигот - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34849914