HERCULES-CE, developed under the Interreg project, aims to establish and enhance Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) to drive the energy transition in Central Europe. Through a cooperative and participatory approach, the project fosters knowledge exchange and mutual growth among partners, addressing disparities in legislation, infrastructure, and expertise across participating countries.
• Design for Sustainability Transitions
• Participatory Design
• Co-Design
• Strategic Design
The primary goal of the project is to develop the HERCULES-CE toolkit in collaboration with partners and test it with existing or newly established Renewable Energy Communities across seven countries. The toolkit will focus on three pillars: economic feasibility, energy sustainability—assessed through business model analyses and a data-driven tool for improving energy efficiency—and a tailored participatory engagement methodology to involve stakeholders, including citizens, businesses, and public or private entities.
The key contributions of the D+S research group focus on developing these engagement methodologies. This concerns analyzing existing case studies and the state of the art for each REC involved. The project will deliver tools and methods tailored to the specific needs of each pilot action, resulting in an open-source toolkit. These resources will support future RECs and stakeholders in fostering engagement, organizing initiatives, and facilitating co-creation of energy communities across Europe.
