FLOWBOX Energy is a key partner of Czech town of Jindřichův Hradec in an innovative municipal energy community project. Participating institutions will use common renewable energy sources from next year. FLOWBOX Energy has prepared the concept, technical solution and also subsidy coverage of the town project. This project is one of the pilot initiatives in the field of community energy in the Czechia, taking advantage of new opportunities for electricity sharing following a recent revision of Czech law.
Goals and Benefits of the Municipal Energy Community
The town has decided to establish a municipal energy community to reduce energy costs, implement autonomous energy management, use available local electricity sources, increase energy self-sufficiency, and reduce its carbon footprint.
"Collective production and subsequent consumption of electricity provide better pricing conditions for municipalities, companies, and households. However, it comes with certain legal limitations. The energy community must not operate for profit," said Petr Gaman from FLOWBOX company.
Joint generation and electricity sharing became possible in Czechia this year following an amendment to the energy law.
FLOWBOX Energy has provided the concept, technical solution and grant funding for the project. FLOWBOX's unique software platform enables community members to efficiently manage energy consumption and production, resulting in significant savings. The town project involves 16 entities with a total of 44 consumption and production points, including school buildings, an ice rink, a swimming pool and a hospital.
"It's about overall consumption management, whether it's replacing heat sources or insulating buildings. If a building cannot be insulated, we will produce energy for that building elsewhere," says mayor of the town Michal Kozár. One of the main goals is to increase the town's energy independence. "For example, during summer, when schools consume less energy than the solar panels produce, we can use it elsewhere, be it in the hospital or at the ice rink," Kozár added.
Innovative Approach to Energy Self-Sufficiency
The town's facilities will use renewable energy sources. In addition to photovoltaics, whose solar panels will also be installed on one of the hospital buildings, the project also includes a small hydroelectric power plant.
"Our goal is to act socially responsible, increasing energy self-sufficiency and prioritizing low-carbon sources. We want to meaningfully use available local and ecological electricity sources and support their further development," said Vojtěch Batrla, head of the technical and operational department at Jindřichův Hradec Hospita
The project is one of the first implementations of municipal energy in the Czech Republic, which is taking advantage of new opportunities to share electricity following a change in the country's energy law. As of this year, it is possible to share electricity between several entities in the Czech Republic without the need to set up an administratively burdensome joint venture. In addition, the possibility of sharing electricity can become a new employee benefit for companies.
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