About
COMPASS is dedicated to empowering citizens and communities to bring their community energy projects to life. By connecting users with customized funding options, expert technical assistance, capacity-building programs, and policy and social resources, COMPASS helps break down barriers at every stage of community energy project development.
Introduction to Energy Communities
Energy communities are groups of citizens and local stakeholders who come together to take collective action on renewable energy and energy-related initiatives. By pooling resources and working collaboratively, they empower communities to support the clean energy transition.
Energy communities are promoted by the European Commission as part of the Clean Energy for All Europeans package. They represent a social construct or business model where citizens and local actors, such as municipalities and small businesses, work together. These groups jointly own and democratically govern a legal entity. This entity manages projects related to renewable energy production, energy efficiency, renovations, the alleviation of energy poverty, offshore wind and heating and cooling.
The primary goal of these projects is to prioritize environmental, economic, or social benefits for the community, rather than focusing on profit. Energy communities enable citizens and communities to finance sustainable energy investments. In doing so, they play a vital role in advancing the clean energy transition.
Despite their many benefits, community energy projects still face many barriers. Communities often lack access to the professional expertise and resources needed to fully develop their projects and realize their potential, limiting their ability to scale and succeed.
Why COMPASS?
COMPASS advances the traditional project support model by offering a comprehensive resource hub that addresses the entire lifecycle of community energy projects—from concept to implementation. Unlike other tools that may focus on a single area (e.g., funding or technical guidance), COMPASS provides an integrated solution that combines funding opportunities, technical assistance, capacity-building, and policy navigation, customized to the specific needs of community energy projects.
Read our FAQs
COMPASS is a web-based tool designed to support citizens and energy communities throughout the entire process of developing their community energy projects. Its primary goal is to serve as a central hub, connecting these initiatives with a wide range of resources and support mechanisms essential for their success.
COMPASS provides a curated collection of resources and support mechanisms categorized to address various needs of community energy projects. These include information and access to funding schemes and incentives, technical support and expert guidance, capacity-building activities to develop necessary skills, and resources related to policy guidance and maximizing social impact.
COMPASS makes it easy for users to find exactly what they need through a user-friendly interface. On the Resources Page, users can search and filter a wide range of tailored content—including funding schemes, technical assistance, capacity-building programs, and policy guidance—using keywords and project-specific criteria. Resources are also organized by different stages of community energy project development, so users can quickly access the most relevant support for where they are in their journey.
COMPASS makes it easier for users to discover funding opportunities by aggregating and presenting information on a wide range of financial support schemes and incentives for community energy projects. Currently, the COMPASS focuses on EU-level funding programmes—but this is just the beginning. In the near future, COMPASS will expand to include national and regional schemes across EU Member States, helping users access even more targeted financial support tailored to their local context.
COMPASS connects energy communities with technical assistance initiatives and support programs launched by the EU and Member States. These initiatives are designed to help local actors—citizens, municipalities, and businesses—kickstart and scale clean energy projects led by energy communities across Europe.
COMPASS offers resources focused on capacity building, aimed at developing the skills and knowledge necessary for individuals and energy communities to effectively lead and manage their own energy projects.
COMPASS provides resources to help users navigate the regulatory landscape relevant to community energy projects. It also offers resources focused on maximizing the social impact of these initiatives, recognizing their broader community benefits.
Yes! In addition to its rich library of resources, COMPASS features an Experts Page where users can connect directly with a network of professionals. These experts offer specialized knowledge and hands-on support to guide community energy projects at every stage.
COMPASS was developed under the MASTERPIECE project. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation under grant agreement number 101096836.
