DECA

EVTZ Alpine Pearls mbH

DECA

DECA (Danube Energy Communities Accelerator) comprises 12 project partners and aims to accelerate renewable energy communities throughout the Danube region via confidence building, experience exchange and structuring a strategy for success. This project aims to employ the underutilised natural resources of the region to kindle local prosperity and provide energy independence, something useful in times of international uncertainty.  

Capacity development to boost community energy renewable energy projects across the Danube Region

Citizen-owned energy is key to fully utilising natural resources and providing energy autarky. We envisage several co-benefits of community energy action including cost-savings, employment opportunities, improved energy security, community reinvestment skills development, improved social connections, resilience and warmer homes. 

DECA is funded by the Interreg Programme for the Danube Region and involves 12 partners, including societies, renewable technology centres, and agencies for development and business support. It will test decentralized renewable energy solutions and empower future sustainable communities. This will be achieved through training development, toolkit creation, and strategy formulation, with insights feeding into a comprehensive DECA Strategy. 

Alpine Pearls will represent Austria and take from the relative success already in the nation of some 300+ RECs (Renewable Energy Communities), bringing not only the success factors but also the challenges to the table, to share experience and develop learning and study visits for others. Drawing from the Pearls’ experience in renewable energy and sustainable development too, collaborative models will be established to serve as templates for scaling similar local energy projects across the region. 

EVTZ Alpine Pearls mbH

Goals

  • Capacity development targeted to help citizens and organisations develop the skills and confidence they need for creating impactful community energy actions. 
  • Solutions to support creation of pipelines of local community energy actions that will have the greatest benefits. 
  • Mechanisms to effectively sustain acceleration support for community energy action through national hubs and a regional alliance for scaling across the region. 

Project Partners

The Danube Region is the largest of the EU Macro-Regions. With a land surface of over 1 million km2 it amasses to 70 NUTS2 regions. The meandering Danube gives a commonality to all states. The solutions will be tested through piloting in the 9 countries of our project partners: 

  • Slovenia:
    E-institute, Institute for Comprehensive Development Solutions (EZAVOD),
    Goriška Local Energy Agency, Nova Gorica (GOLEA),
    Korimako,
     
  • Croatia:
    KLIK Energy Cooperative,
    Island Development Agency (OTRA),
     
  • Slovakia:
    Technical University of Kosice (TUKE),
     
  • Austria:
    EGTC Alpine Pearls ltd,
     
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina:
    Regional Education and Information Centre for Sustainable Development in South East Europe (REIC),
     
  • Montenegro:
    Agency for Development and Business Support (Agencija CT),
     
  • Hungary:
    National Society of Conservationists (MTVSZ),
     
  • Serbia: 
    Center for Sustainable Energy Development llc (CORE),
     
  • Romania:
    Agency of Brasov for the Management of Energy and Environment (ABMEE)

Key Data

Total Project Budget: 2,045.335 EUR (80% Co-financing), EVTZ Alpine Pearls Budget: 189,720 EUR  

Project Duration:  Januar 2024 until Juni 2026  

Financing: EU Interreg  

Project Website: https://interreg-danube.eu/projects/deca  

LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/deca-danube-energy-communities-accelerator-%EF%B8%B1interreg-danube/