The association "Lebensraum Donau-Ameisberg" (living area Danube-Ameisberg) has been among the first to invite all mayors, heads of offices and municipality representatives from the Ameisberg region interested in the topic of energy communities to an information event organised by neoom under the auspices of our Energy Community Service Manager, Jacob Wöginger. Around 30 decision-makers from the municipalities of Kollerschlag, Oberkappel, Pfarrkirchen im Mühlviertel, Hofkirchen im Mühlviertel, Sarleinsbach, Hörbich, Lembach im Mühlviertel, Niederkappel, Putzleinsdorf, Neustift, Kirchberg ob der Donau, Arnreit, Altenfelden and Neufelden accepted the invitation.
Trigger & Solution
The overwhelming interest was not only caused by the neoom KLUUB and the innovative energy communities, but also by the current price increases for energy supply, which also massively impact municipalities. Energy prices were already exploding before the war in Ukraine and these prices will not be fixed any time soon. The price went up from 6 ct/kWh to 40 ct/kWh - and even 80 ct/kWh when purchasing directly on the energy market. Energy communities, which are associations consisting out of private individuals, municipalities and companies, enable the joint production and utilisation of energy. A renewable energy community may produce, store, consume and also sell energy, i.e. electricity from renewable sources. This offers them significant advantages: planning security, energy independence, local value creation, blackout protection and a reduction in grid costs and levies. In order to be able to trade electricity regionally and locally, energy must be produced. PV systems and electricity storage by citizens and the expansion of these systems by municipalities make this possible.
Therefore, Jacob Wöginger as well as the audience, is dedicated to enable the implementation of energy communities for municipalities in the region. To get everyone on the same page, Jacob Wöginger clarified the basic question: What are energy communities and what advantages have municipalities and citizens? Our Energy Community Service Manager presented the goals of a neoom energy community: independence from international electricity prices and cost savings in the form of 28-58% reduced grid costs, the elimination of electricity tax of 1.5ct/kWh and the green electricity contribution of around 30 € per year. Case studies of electricity consumption and generation of comparable municipalities were used to clarify the framework conditions for an energy community. Moreover, questions about existing energy supply contracts and the expansion of the smart meter infrastructure, which is a basic requirement of an energy community, were also addressed.
This provided the basis for a more specific discussion of how to proceed: the number of necessary members or municipalities for an energy community, the amount of consumption, electricity bills and overview of all metering points in the community and last but not least: the neoom APP.
neoom APP – 360° solution for energy communities
With its neoom KLUUB skill, the neoom APP provides the entire system for energy communities: a match maker, founding or joining an energy community, billing and presentation. The basic function of the neoom APP is the visualisation of the energy flows. In this way, the municipality has an overview of the entire energy community for the optimisation of supply and demand. In the personal electricity data dashboard, each member has a detailed insight into the personal electricity balance and the purchases from the energy community and from the electricity provider. The automated search, establishment, organisation and billing in neoom KLUUB provides the necessary transparency and saves the energy community human resources for the chairman and treasurer as well as for marketing and setting up the energy community.
The next steps were already obvious to all participants: downloading and registering for the neoom APP - now available in the browser at app.neoom.com - and starting the match matching process. Once you have founded or joined an energy community, you can start trading electricity internally.
Interested? Book an info event here!