{"id":10721,"date":"2025-02-26T17:41:20","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T16:41:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/?post_type=eu-news&#038;p=10721"},"modified":"2025-03-07T14:56:18","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T13:56:18","slug":"evora-renewable-energy-community","status":"publish","type":"eu-news","link":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/de\/eu-news\/evora-renewable-energy-community\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00c9vora Renewable Energy Community"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"10721\" class=\"elementor elementor-10721\" data-elementor-post-type=\"eu-news\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-98d3bc1 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"98d3bc1\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-39c8971\" data-id=\"39c8971\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7e839fb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7e839fb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.22.0 - 17-06-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Through innovative approaches, the AURORA project in \u00c9vora continues to overcome challenges and drive the integration of renewable energy in a historically protected city. By establishing a Renewable Energy Community, leveraging distributed energy models, and engaging in educational and social initiatives, the University of \u00c9vora is setting a benchmark for sustainable energy solutions. While challenges remain, these efforts demonstrate how renewable energy, heritage conservation, and community engagement can coexist, paving the way for a greener future in historical urban settings.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Advancing Renewable Energy at the University of \u00c9vora: Challenges and New Opportunities<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The initial concept of the AURORA project in \u00c9vora aimed to enhance the energy self-consumption of the University of \u00c9vora through a 200 kW photovoltaic (PV) power plant, covering approximately one-fifth of the campus&#8217;s peak electricity demand. The project sought to involve 1,500 participants, primarily students and university employees, contributing between \u20ac20 and \u20ac1,000, fostering inclusive participation. To simplify governance and minimize legal and administrative costs, the university was to own and manage the facility directly, avoiding the need for a separate legal entity. This model ensured compliance with public procurement rules, allowing seamless integration of academic community members into the initiative.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The project envisioned the establishment of a Renewable Energy Community (REC), internally managed by the university. However, legal and financial constraints prevented the university, as a public institution, from providing financial returns to participants. Instead, a model offering discounts on university services, tuition fees, or goods was analysed and unfortunately this approach was deemed unfeasible. The only viable alternative was a donation-based scheme, which ultimately failed to attract sufficient community participation.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Exploring Alternative Models: Partnership with the Red Cross<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given these challenges, the AURORA team in \u00c9vora explored alternative approaches, engaging with IPSS in \u00c9vora, particularly the Red Cross in \u00c9vora, as a potential partner. The revised concept proposed the installation of a PV power plant on the Red Cross\u2019s rooftop, making use of available space for renewable energy generation. A key component of this model involved the Red Cross managing the financing process, facilitating community participation through micro-lending mechanisms while ensuring an inclusive and socially driven investment framework. The Red Cross would benefit directly from the energy produced through self-consumption, significantly reducing electricity costs and enabling the reallocation of savings toward its core social support programs. This initiative aims to generate both economic and social impact, showcasing the potential of decentralized renewable energy to strengthen community resilience. However, despite a promising start, the project has not yet moved forward.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Overcoming Heritage Restrictions: The Creation of a Renewable Energy Community<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In parallel, the AURORA team in \u00c9vora has been working on the establishment of a Renewable Energy Community (REC) to facilitate collective self-consumption across the university\u2019s buildings within the city of \u00c9vora. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, \u00c9vora is subject to strict regulations that limit visible modifications to buildings, making on-site solar energy generation within the historic center highly challenging. Given these restrictions, the team developed a distributed energy model, where solar energy is generated outside the city walls and can be consumed within, ensuring compliance with heritage preservation requirements while advancing the energy transition in an area that otherwise would be left behind.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Portuguese legislation only permits energy sharing through the grid when a REC is formally registered. Recognizing this as a viable path, the University of \u00c9vora is in the process of registering a REC, enabling solar energy produced in less restricted areas to power university facilities within the historic center. This solution ensures that heritage conservation does not hinder access to clean energy, allowing the university to optimize self-consumption while adhering to regulatory constraints.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ed2a195 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"ed2a195\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.22.0 - 17-06-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/elementor\/thumbs\/mapa_versao-02-qkwmf76jywdsuc1nkd7l8x8i0az6uoagy6tqpwpppo.jpg\" title=\"City of \u00c9vora, UNESCO Heritage\" alt=\"City of \u00c9vora, UNESCO Heritage\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">City of \u00c9vora, UNESCO Heritage site area delimited in yellow.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-36611b4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"36611b4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To further enhance energy efficiency, funding was secured to improve the sustainability of student residences, a project that includes the deployment of additional PV capacity. The initial REC projection estimated a total installed PV power of approximately 750 kWp, combining existing and new installations across multiple university buildings. However, due to planned renovations in the residences, adjustments may be required, potentially reducing the total installed capacity. Despite this, a significant portion of the envisioned installations is expected to be deployed, reinforcing the university\u2019s commitment to renewable energy integration.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Education and Engagement<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Beyond energy generation, the establishment of a REC at the University of \u00c9vora presents a valuable educational opportunity, serving as a living laboratory for students, staff, and the broader community. By embedding renewable energy production and self-consumption into the university\u2019s infrastructure, the REC fosters awareness of decentralized energy models, climate action, and energy efficiency.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To enhance engagement, the AURORA Energy Tracker App provides a real-time visualization tool, allowing participants to monitor energy production, consumption, and impact. This fosters a deeper understanding of renewable energy dynamics, encouraging students and staff to actively contribute to sustainability efforts, track their impact, and make informed energy decisions. Furthermore, by demonstrating the feasibility of renewable energy integration in a UNESCO-protected city, the project serves as a replicable model, inspiring local stakeholders to adopt similar approaches. As the REC evolves, the AURORA Energy Tracker App will play a key role in supporting sustainability initiatives, reinforcing the university\u2019s leadership in environmental responsibility, and promoting energy literacy across the academic and local communities.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Through innovative approaches, the AURORA project in \u00c9vora continues to overcome challenges and drive the integration of renewable energy in a historically protected city. By establishing a Renewable Energy Community, leveraging distributed energy models, and engaging in educational and social initiatives, the University of \u00c9vora is setting a benchmark for sustainable energy solutions. While challenges [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":10722,"template":"","categories":[1,64],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10721","eu-news","type-eu-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-portugal"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u00c9vora Renewable Energy Community - AURORA H2020<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/de\/eu-news\/evora-renewable-energy-community\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"de_DE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u00c9vora Renewable Energy Community - AURORA H2020\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Through innovative approaches, the AURORA project in \u00c9vora continues to overcome challenges and drive the integration of renewable energy in a historically protected city. By establishing a Renewable Energy Community, leveraging distributed energy models, and engaging in educational and social initiatives, the University of \u00c9vora is setting a benchmark for sustainable energy solutions. While challenges [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/de\/eu-news\/evora-renewable-energy-community\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"AURORA H2020\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-07T13:56:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/UEVORA-REC.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"318\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AURORA_H2020\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Gesch\u00e4tzte Lesezeit\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5\u00a0Minuten\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/eu-news\\\/evora-renewable-energy-community\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/eu-news\\\/evora-renewable-energy-community\\\/\",\"name\":\"\u00c9vora Renewable Energy Community - AURORA H2020\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/eu-news\\\/evora-renewable-energy-community\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/eu-news\\\/evora-renewable-energy-community\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/UEVORA-REC.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-26T16:41:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-07T13:56:18+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/eu-news\\\/evora-renewable-energy-community\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"de\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/eu-news\\\/evora-renewable-energy-community\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"de\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/eu-news\\\/evora-renewable-energy-community\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/UEVORA-REC.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/UEVORA-REC.jpg\",\"width\":600,\"height\":318},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/eu-news\\\/evora-renewable-energy-community\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Portugal News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/eu-news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u00c9vora Renewable Energy Community\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/\",\"name\":\"AURORA H2020\",\"description\":\"Empowering a new generation of near zero-emission citizens\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"de\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"AURORA\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"de\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/2022-03-02-14.51.48.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/2022-03-02-14.51.48.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":367,\"caption\":\"AURORA\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/AURORA_H2020\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\u00c9vora Renewable Energy Community - AURORA H2020","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/de\/eu-news\/evora-renewable-energy-community\/","og_locale":"de_DE","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u00c9vora Renewable Energy Community - AURORA H2020","og_description":"Through innovative approaches, the AURORA project in \u00c9vora continues to overcome challenges and drive the integration of renewable energy in a historically protected city. By establishing a Renewable Energy Community, leveraging distributed energy models, and engaging in educational and social initiatives, the University of \u00c9vora is setting a benchmark for sustainable energy solutions. While challenges [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/de\/eu-news\/evora-renewable-energy-community\/","og_site_name":"AURORA H2020","article_modified_time":"2025-03-07T13:56:18+00:00","og_image":[{"width":600,"height":318,"url":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/UEVORA-REC.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@AURORA_H2020","twitter_misc":{"Gesch\u00e4tzte Lesezeit":"5\u00a0Minuten"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/eu-news\/evora-renewable-energy-community\/","url":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/eu-news\/evora-renewable-energy-community\/","name":"\u00c9vora Renewable Energy Community - AURORA H2020","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/eu-news\/evora-renewable-energy-community\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/eu-news\/evora-renewable-energy-community\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/UEVORA-REC.jpg","datePublished":"2025-02-26T16:41:20+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-07T13:56:18+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/eu-news\/evora-renewable-energy-community\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"de","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/eu-news\/evora-renewable-energy-community\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"de","@id":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/eu-news\/evora-renewable-energy-community\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/UEVORA-REC.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/UEVORA-REC.jpg","width":600,"height":318},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/eu-news\/evora-renewable-energy-community\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Portugal News","item":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/eu-news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u00c9vora Renewable Energy Community"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/","name":"AURORA H2020","description":"Empowering a new generation of near zero-emission citizens","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"de"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/#organization","name":"AURORA","url":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"de","@id":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/2022-03-02-14.51.48.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/2022-03-02-14.51.48.jpg","width":1280,"height":367,"caption":"AURORA"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/AURORA_H2020"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/eu-news\/10721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/eu-news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/eu-news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/eu-news\/10721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aurora-h2020.eu\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}