REScoop Plus · Project

Ready-to-Use Toolkit Helping Energy Cooperatives Cut Member Energy Bills

energyPilotedTRL 7

Imagine you join a local energy cooperative that sells you green electricity. Now imagine that same cooperative also helps you use less energy at home — saving you money and cutting emissions at the same time. REScoop Plus studied the best energy-saving programs run by Europe's largest citizen-owned energy suppliers, figured out what actually works, and packaged it all into a practical toolkit. Think of it as a franchise playbook for energy cooperatives who want to help their members waste less power.

By the numbers

consortium partners contributing best practices

European countries covered in the toolkit testing

deliverables produced including tools and business models

SMEs in the consortium (active energy cooperatives)

58%

industry ratio in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Energy cooperatives across Europe sell renewable electricity to their members but miss a major opportunity: helping those same members use less energy. Experimental programs by a few large cooperatives showed that members who are engaged by their cooperative actually change behavior and reduce consumption — but most cooperatives lack the tools, knowledge, and business models to run these programs effectively.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered 17 outputs including a practical toolkit with communication tools for member engagement, ICT tools for measuring energy savings, and new business models that make energy efficiency services financially viable for cooperatives. A project website served as the central knowledge-sharing platform.

Audience

Who needs this

Renewable energy cooperatives wanting to add energy efficiency servicesEnergy service companies targeting residential behavior changeMunicipal utilities exploring community engagement modelsCooperative associations supporting their member organizationsSmart home and energy monitoring technology providers looking for distribution channels

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Energy cooperatives and community energy suppliers

SME

Target: Renewable energy cooperatives supplying electricity to residential members

If you are an energy cooperative looking to expand beyond just selling green power — this project developed a market-ready toolkit of communication tools, ICT measurement platforms, and business models that help your members reduce their energy consumption. The toolkit was built from best practices tested by the largest supplying REScoops across 8 European countries.

Energy efficiency services and ESCOs

mid-size

Target: Energy service companies offering demand-side management programs

If you are an energy service company struggling to engage residential consumers in behavior change programs — this project identified and measured which engagement approaches actually work across different geographies. The toolkit includes ICT tools for better measurement and communication strategies proven across 12 partner organizations in Europe.

Utility and energy retail

mid-size

Target: Small to mid-size utility companies exploring community engagement models

If you are a utility company looking to add energy efficiency services alongside your supply business — this project created new business models that support energy savings by changing consumer behavior. The models were designed to be ready for market uptake and tested with real cooperative members across multiple European markets.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement these tools in our cooperative?

The project data does not include specific implementation costs. As a Coordination and Support Action, the project focused on packaging existing best practices into a reusable toolkit. The tools were designed for energy cooperatives to integrate into their existing operations, suggesting implementation costs were intended to be manageable for cooperative-scale organizations.

Can this scale beyond the original pilot cooperatives?

Yes — the entire purpose of the project was to move beyond the experimental phase and create tools ready for market uptake by any supplying REScoop in Europe. The consortium spanned 8 countries (Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal) with 12 partners, specifically to ensure the toolkit works across different markets and geographies.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

As a publicly funded Coordination and Support Action, the toolkit and best practices were designed for broad dissemination across the European cooperative energy sector. Based on available project data, the outputs appear intended for open adoption by REScoops rather than proprietary licensing.

Does this work in our specific regulatory environment?

The toolkit was tested across 8 different European regulatory environments, from Nordic to Southern European markets. The project specifically noted that different measures showed different rates of success for different geographies, so the toolkit includes guidance on what works where.

How quickly can we see results after adoption?

Based on available project data, the project ran from March 2016 to February 2019 and built on prior work from the REScoop 20-20-20 project. The toolkit includes ready-to-implement products, suggesting cooperatives can begin deployment relatively quickly once they select the tools appropriate for their context.

What exactly is in the toolkit?

The project produced 17 deliverables including communication tools for member engagement, ICT tools for better energy measurement, and new business models supporting consumer energy savings. A project website was also delivered as a knowledge-sharing platform for the cooperative community.

Consortium

Who built it

The consortium of 12 partners across 8 countries is heavily tilted toward industry (7 partners, 58%), which signals this was a practitioner-driven project, not an academic exercise. With 5 SMEs — likely active energy cooperatives themselves — the toolkit was built by the people who actually run these organizations. The 2 university partners provided measurement and evaluation expertise, while 3 other organizations (likely cooperative associations) ensured broader sector reach. The geographic spread from Portugal to Denmark means the outputs were stress-tested across very different energy markets, regulatory environments, and consumer cultures.

COOPERNICO - COOPERATIVA DE DESENVOLVIMENTO SUSTENTAVEL CRLparticipant · PT
ENERCOOPparticipant · FR
POLYTECHNEIO KRITISparticipant · EL
SOM ENERGIA SCCLparticipant · ES
UNIVERSITEIT TWENTEparticipant · NL
ECOPOWERparticipant · BE
BEDRIJFSBUREAU ENERGIE SAMEN BVparticipant · NL
SUDTIROLER ENERGIE VERBAND GENOSSENSCHAFTparticipant · IT
RESCOOP EU ASBLparticipant · BE

How to reach the team

Coordinator is LEVELCARDINAL UNIPESSOAL LDA based in Portugal. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to discuss toolkit licensing or adaptation.

Order a report on this consortium

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to implement these energy-saving tools in your cooperative or utility? SciTransfer can connect you with the project team and help adapt the toolkit to your market.

Order a report on this topic More in Energy & Climate