Villadecans – VILAWATT -Innovative Local Public-Private-Citizen Partnership for Energy Governance

From all the challenges that a community must face in an energy transition process, VILAWATT will, as a priority, focus on unlocking the needed deep energy renovation of residential buildings. The proposal aims at addressing this situation firstly in low income communities where higher efforts need to be done (In Spain about 17% homes are suffering from fuel poverty).

This project will initiate the transition by focusing on Montserratina District (45 Ha.) with its 20.216 residents (30% of the whole City), 8.026 dwellings (6.203 of which are built before 1976, i.e. before any energy related legislation was in place). The annual district income is 15% lower compared to the City average, and its annual final energy consumption is 34 GWh; 75 kWh/year m2.

On a social, economic and environmental level this project works to:

• Awake the community on the energy efficiency and management, and will empower the citizens by making them transit from a passive to a proactive role.
• Strengthen the local economy by bringing economic empowerment to the community vulnerable groups and by creating new jobs linked to the energy transition.
• Reduce environmental impacts (GHG, air pollution and other) thanks to energy efficiency measures and the switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy. VILAWATT pretends to reduce these impacts gradually and in a stable way, instead of having an occasionally benefit.

The Energy Transition will be initiated by the creation of an Innovative Public-Private-Citizen Governance Partnership at Local level (PPCP). This new PPCP will be the central hub that will manage the new local tools for the transition: energy supply, energy currency, energy savings services, deep energy renovation investments and renewable energy production.

This entity will have, for the first time, the Municipality together with the local businesses and the citizens of Viladecans as its members. Its mission will be to promote and ensure a secure, clean and efficient use of energy.