Nobody said it was easy: Adapting to a constantly changing reality – A note from the project coordinator

Not everything goes as planned, this is a fact of life. This is even more evident in innovation and research projects involving real-world demonstrations that require citizen engagement. For LocalRES, the challenges faced during the first three years of the project have demanded great flexibility and adaptability, as the reality surrounding our activities has continuously evolved since the project was first conceived.

In our Kökar demo site, despite the full commitment of the municipality to decarbonise the energy system and strong support from the majority of the local population, doubts and resistance from a small minority delayed the initial phases of the technical activities. 

The efforts of all involved eventually led to a positive resolution of the local circumstances, but due to prolonged resolution process, the technical demonstrations were ultimately found to be unfeasible within the project’s limited timeframe. 

Fortunately, Kökar will still benefit from LocalRES activities as a fellow case, receiving key support to review their sustainability strategy and playing a pivotal role in policy work and the dissemination of lessons learned.

For P2P activities, new regulatory changes in Austria, where these actions were initially planned, no longer support the high level of innovation proposed by LocalRES. This shift, however, has opened new doors, and we are excited to welcome a new demo site for P2P activities in Osimo (Italy), along with new partners to help bring this vision to life.

Nobody said it was easy, but these challenges have only boosted our flexibility, adaptability, and resilience. LocalRES continues to make significant progress, and in just a few days, we will reunite in Ispaster, where we will recap our progress, celebrate, and prepare the next steps toward achieving our project goals. 

By Alberto Belda González