The local government of Viladecans, in Barcelona, set up an energy company based on citizen participation to promote the shift to environmentally friendly power sources and the renovation of homes to make them more energy efficient. In addition, a digital currency was created to reward people for saving energy. The money could be spent at businesses in their area to boost the local economy. The wider goal was to ensure the sustainable use of resources in a socially just community in which citizens play an active role.
- 31 August 2020
We strongly believe in this project because one of the most important challenges that cities have to face is improving quality of life. The objectives are multiple and ambitious: to reduce the energy bill, to put the savings made from this into improving housing, and to boost the local economy. We want to promote the culture of energy saving among citizens and to develop a local platform to integrate all local energy transition efforts.
Having studied 31 initiatives worldwide, a public-private citizen partnership (PPCP) was chosen as the backbone of the Vilawatt project. It is based on four principles: guarantee of supply, local renewable energy, energy savings, and citizen participation.
The renovation work done by the project is expected to achieve a 60 % reduction in energy consumption in homes. Electricity savings are monitored and recorded via sensors installed indoors. Home owners were encouraged to switch to renewable energy sources which, according to estimates, have the potential to save 2 750 tonnes of CO2 annually.
In total, 450 households are expected to use the new digital energy currency, the Vilawatt, in at least 100 participating local shops.
EUR 1.4 million was dedicated to retrofitting homes in Viladecans to make them energy efficient. The need for supply and renovation services helped boost local industry. Furthermore, 66 unemployed people were trained in energy-efficiency practices.
Innovative partnership
Viladecans, in Barcelona, has 66 000 residents. The Vilawatt project focuses mainly on the Riera, Montserratina, and Union districts, which are home to 6 203 buildings constructed before legislation on building insulation came into effect in 1976. Consequently, its energy consumption is above the city’s average. In Montserratina, income is 15 % lower than the city average, which means residents are more likely to live in fuel poverty.
The PPCP comprises the Viladecans City Council, the Barcelona Metropolitan Area and two associations: the Citizen Association for Energy Transition and the Business & Retailers Association for Energy Transition.
The two associations are the result of the project’s innovative participatory strategy and the learning communities that were set up. These keep residents informed and encourage them to reduce energy consumption.
The PPCP manages the programme through a local energy operator (LEO), which coordinates construction of renewable energy generation facilities, such as solar panels on rooftops. It is responsible for the energy renovation of buildings, the roll-out of devices such as smart meters, and for educating residents on energy efficiency.
The LEO used the aggregate demand of users to negotiate more competitive electricity prices with suppliers. In total, 500 contracts were signed, ending in March 2020, for electricity from renewable sources.
This model can be replicated in other cities, but needs the involvement of citizen associations. Some cities in Catalonia are starting to implement similar innovative projects.
Raising awareness and building skills
To create awareness of the project and encourage people to use less energy, 14 communication campaigns were conducted and four learning communities set up: for citizens, schools, professionals (85 companies) and the retail sector (53 members). These are being made virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A capacity-building plan was put in place to teach local energy workers the skills to meet the demand for building renovations. It trained around 200 people from other fields who wanted to acquire such skills, thereby strengthening the local economy by generating jobs and expertise.
The training is complemented by the creation of a cluster of companies working on energy efficiency, and the compilation of a catalogue of energy products and services available to residents.
The project is part of efforts in Viladecans to meet the EU’s 2030 energy savings targets: a 40 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels, and to source 32 % of its energy from renewables.
At the regional level, Catalonia’s energy-building-renovation strategy aims to have renovated 61 % of buildings and achieved energy savings of 14.4 % by 2020.
The project was backed by Urban Innovative Actions, an EU initiative that gives cities funding to implement innovative projects that solve problems in areas such as housing, energy, transportation and climate change.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Vilawatt - Innovative local public-private-citizen partnership for energy governance” is EUR 5 337 328, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 4 269 862 through the “Urban Innovative Actions” Initiative for the 2014-2020 programming period.