Inspiring Examples and Best Practices
Cooperativa para a Sustentabilidade da Ilha da Culatra
(C-COOP)
About
C-COOP – Culatra Island Cooperative for Sustainability, was founded in 2022 by the locals of the Culatra Fishing community in the island of Culatra. C-COOP is the result of the intention of some locals to prepare the future of the next generations and, at the same time, defend the preservation of the identity of their fishing community. It serves as the promoter of the Renewable Energy Community Pilot Project stemming from the ‘Culatra 2030 – Sustainable Energy Community’ initiative which aims to give a legal and governance framework to the energy community on the island.
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Mission
Culatra’s electrification is done through a medium voltage submarine electrical cable prone to failures, which causes many blackouts on the island. Both Culatra2030 and C-COOP’s mission and vision is to create a decentralised energy market and consequently a unified community spirit that will empower the population of Culatra Island. C-COOP’s objective will/should be achieved by implementing a participatory economic model, which enables both the distribution of costs and income that results from renewable energy generation, thus rewarding/supporting community involvement.
Activities
The Culatra Renewable Energy Community currently has five photovoltaic production installations located at different points on the island’s low-voltage electrical grid, an energy storage unit, a community solar boat at the service of the fishermen, and a few home support electric vehicles. totalling around 28% of the island’s energy needs.
The Culatra Island Cooperative for Sustainability (C-COOP) is the manager entity of the Renewable Energy Community, and so, the main responsible for sharing the energy produced by the five photovoltaic production installations between the several homes and small businesses, via the low-voltage electricity grid. To this end, the energy produced by the community will be deducted from the consumption measured on the meters of the cooperative’s members, who will become self-consumers.
At this stage, the participating consumers include two mini-markets, two restaurants, the primary school, the social centre, the fishing working zone, the service centres (the headquarters of the Clube União Culatrense, the headquarters of the Culatra Island Residents‘ Association, the Faro Parish Union delegation and the telemedicine post), and sixteen homes.
The Energy Community will support research activities that will enable the implementation of new forms of consumption management, including the integration of energy management systems, (which will make it possible to control the consumption of its members, integrating demand forecasting and renewable generation, taking into account the limitations of the existing electricity grid); while implementing a participatory economy model, (which allows for the distribution of costs and profits from renewable generation), and supports community involvement and investment in new equipment and the implementation of an intelligent electric boat charging system, capable of controlling charging according to generation, respecting user preferences and maximising self-consumed energy.
Distinctive Good Practice
Community engagement was emphasised as a crucial component of the process of organising Culatra into a renewable energy community and involving locals in the decision-making processes. In collaboration with the Culatra Island Residents Association (AMIC), the University of Algarve, the organisation MakeItBetter, and local and national government they launched a Participatory Diagnosis process during which, the island stakeholders co-decided on a new governance system for the participatory exploration of transition paths and appropriate solutions, taking into account the specificities of the island context.
Barriers & How they were addressed
Ilha da Culatra (Culatra Island) is a sandy island located just south of the cities of Olhão and Faro in Portugal. The island is part of the Ria Formosa National Park and therefore has to follow strict rules for its development. As Culatra is part of a national park, it has significant challenges in the areas of waste management, energy security and human pressure on natural habitats during the high season. Aware of the clean energy opportunities on Culatra, the local community decided to take their future into their own hands and partner with the University of Algarve, to design a roadmap and implement a clean energy transition framework on the island. Their common goal is to convert Culatra into the first Portuguese clean island community.
Benefits to Participating individuals
Individuals participating in the island’s energy community will be able to produce, consume and share their own energy, while reducing electricity bill costs and investing in increasing solar energy production to reach the island’s energy self-sufficiency.