Zero Emissions (ZE) Energy Communities are a creative way to increase the production of electricity from renewable sources locally and at lower costs, by involving local communities in the design, financing, construction and operation of these renewable source power plants, delivering truly local, independent and sustainable solutions to energy needs. ZE Energy Communities consist of small scale solar (or other alternatives) power plants installed at low-voltage local distribution grid level. There are several advantages to this approach that complement large-scale renewable power expansion:
- They allow increasing renewable power without needing new transmission capacity to be built
- They allow local communities to invest in their own electricity production capacity
- Together, that means that renewables can expand in a more decentralized way and with reduced dependency on large-scale investments
- They increase resilience and adaptation to climate change by reducing dependence on centralized energy production and transmission, particularly at times of high demand (for example, during a heat or cold wave, local renewable electricity can power A/C or heating systems while also reducing stress on the central grid)
- They create new business opportunities for local electricity SMEs, creating jobs and training
- They reduce the vulnerability to the impacts of climate change of those who suffer the most from energy poverty (women, elders, people with disabilities and lower-income households by promoting an integrated energy supply-demand management that can reduce the cost of electricity while increasing its reliability
- They leverage well-known and mature renewable energy technologies that are reliable, available and efficient
To promote ZE Energy Communities, developing countries need new, adequate regulatory environments, financial mechanisms and local experience that accelerates their adoption.
The GEF Mitigation Unit provides knowledge and methodologies on how to develop these enabling environments to respond to specific, local energy needs while contributing to reducing emissions and achieving the commitments of the Paris Agreement. The Unit’s approach combines specific knowledge and expertise in GEF ZE community energy projects, worldwide and regional experience that is drawn on to help identify what works, with an inclusive methodology that promotes local projects designs.
