About Aspire

Background

Security of energy supply is a growing concern throughout Europe and is of particular significance for peripheral and rural communities, which are frequently situated at a distance to national sources of energy supply.

Such communities face very different economic, social and environmental issues to those faced by large, urban areas, or areas that have good access to national energy supplies. Peripheral communities are however frequently rich in indigenous renewable energy sources, and indeed could become net ‘exporters’ of energy, but the momentum needs to be generated.

Aims

ASPIRE has therefore aimed to develop a solution to increasing energy sustainability in peripheral regions by developing a replicable model for creating Sustainable Energy Communities . In developing this model, the project partners representing the ASPIRE communities have undertaken a rigorous review of energy resources and demand and actively engaged with local citizens and key stakeholders to develop a comprehensive Sustainable Energy Action Plan.

This process has sought to remove many common barriers to increasing sustainable energy integration at the local level, including:

• lack of awareness amongst EU citizens of the importance of sustainable energy in supporting the local economy and actions that can be taken at an individual level;
  
• lack of awareness and understanding amongst key target groups (planners, developers, architects, politicians and policy makers) of the cost-effective opportunities that exist to integrate sustainable energy measures within new developments and regeneration schemes.

The project also aimed to remove economic barriers by investigating and identifying financing structures and schemes to support the creation of local energy services in low-density communities.

Results

These actions will aim to produce multiple positive effects in the ASPIRE SECs, such as creating and safeguarding jobs; new markets for renewable resources and energy services; new instruments to finance and support the energy sector at the local level, and reduced environmental impacts.