BIEDRIBA ZEMGALES REGIONALA ENERGETIKAS AGENTURA

Their core work

Zemgale Regional Energy Agency (ZREA) is a Latvian energy agency that supports municipalities, cities, and regions in developing sustainable energy and climate action plans (SECAPs). They specialize in building local capacity for energy efficiency — particularly in district heating, energy performance contracting, and tackling energy poverty in Central and Eastern Europe. Their practical work bridges EU-level energy policy with on-the-ground implementation in Baltic and CEE communities.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ZREA's early H2020 work (2015–2018) centered on technical energy infrastructure — energy performance contracting, district heating systems, and thermal energy modelling. From 2018 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward the social and governance dimensions of energy: citizen empowerment, energy poverty alleviation, community cooperatives, and multi-stakeholder SECAP processes. This evolution reflects a move from engineering-driven efficiency projects to people-centered energy transition work.

ZREA is moving toward community-driven energy transition, making them a strong partner for projects addressing energy justice, citizen engagement, and just transition in CEE regions.

How they like to work

ZREA consistently joins projects as a participant rather than leading them — they have zero coordinator roles across five projects. They work in mid-to-large consortia (53 unique partners across 22 countries), indicating broad network reach without deep repeated partnerships. This profile suggests a reliable implementation partner that brings regional CEE expertise and local authority connections to larger European consortia.

ZREA has collaborated with 53 distinct partners across 22 countries, giving them a wide European network despite their small size. Their geographic connections likely concentrate in Central and Eastern Europe, with strong links to Baltic, Balkan, and Southern European energy agencies.

What sets them apart

ZREA offers something rare: direct access to Latvian and Baltic municipal energy planning processes, combined with hands-on experience in energy poverty programmes across CEE. For consortium builders, they provide genuine local implementation capacity in a region often underrepresented in energy transition projects. Their dual expertise in both technical district heating and social energy governance makes them a versatile partner for projects that need to bridge infrastructure and community engagement.

Highlights from their portfolio

• POWERPOOR
  Their most recent and socially oriented project, directly addressing energy poverty through cooperatives and crowdfunding — signals their current strategic direction.
• PentaHelix
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 142,062) and focused on multi-stakeholder SECAP governance, combining policy, community, and energy planning expertise.
• KeepWarm
  Directly targeted district heating improvements in Central and East Europe — a critical infrastructure challenge where ZREA brings regional authority relationships.