Communication as a gateway to trust: learning from local POWER UP approaches
In regions grappling with energy poverty from the North to South of Europe, information on access to energy or support to energy retrofitting isn’t just helpful—it’s transformative. The municipalities involved in the POWER UP project recognised this early on.
Renewables for a really good cause
It dates back to 2021, when four cities in Italy, Spain, Czech Republic and Belgium set off to produce renewable energy. Social equity was built in each of the business models as of day one. Initial dreams turned into reality thanks to very pragmatic approaches.
Webinar summary: Impact through Trust – Co-designing Energy Communities with Vulnerable Households
The session, moderated by Marine Cornelis, focused on two pilots from Campania (Italy) and Eeklo (Belgium); both developed in complex local contexts but united by a common goal: ensuring renewable energy benefits reach those most in need.
Meet POWER UP in Brussels: 11 June session “Is energy sharing possible? Empowering communities for inclusivity”
Claudia Carani from AESS is part of a fantastic speaker panel at the European Sustainable Energy Week. During a policy session, she will be sharing the work of the Italian POWER UP pilots in Campania area around the co-design of a social energy scheme. In a conversation titled “Energy sharing for vulnerable consumers” Claudia will […]
29/05 – Comunità Energetiche Rinnovabile: la condivisione dell’energia come opportunità per i territori della zona vesuviana
Il progetto POWER UP coinvolge diversi partner internazionali che si stanno occupando, a diverso titolo, di sperimentare concretamente la creazione di comunità energetiche. La nostra area, con i Comuni di Palma Campania e San Giuseppe Vesuviano, rappresenta uno di questi “pilot” ovvero progetti pilota.
Webinar: “Impact through trust: Co-designing energy communities with vulnerable households”
This last webinar in the POWER UP series will feature the experiences of the pilots in Campania (Italy) and Eeklo (Belgium), showing how local energy communities can become credible and trusted actors in fighting energy poverty.
Community-driven solutions – country by country
Across Europe, energy poverty limits access to affordable and sustainable energy, disproportionately affecting vulnerable households. The POWER UP National Guides provide a practical roadmap for municipalities, cooperatives, and local organisations to develop inclusive, community-led renewable energy solutions.
Power to the People: policy changes for inclusive energy communities
The latest POWER UP report presents key policy recommendations to support inclusive energy communities across different contexts, ensuring they benefit vulnerable households and contribute to a just energy transition.
Energy poverty is not a fatality! Renewables are one solution.

Since the start of POWER UP co-designing activities, a selected group of people struggling with energy poverty were actively involved in collective decisions around renewable energy production. But awareness-raising and support should not be limited to a few. That is why, over the past months, the four pilots of POWER UP engaged a broader group of residents in activities whereby they learned how to have control over their energy consumption.
Building an energy community in Italy – a rollercoaster story
In an interview with Marine Cornelis from Next Consumer, Felipe Barroco from AESS describes how much of a rollercoaster the implementation of such a social energy player is, but how rewarding also each small advancement feels for him and the local community in Campania region.