Bialystok University of Technology receives 2 million PLN for energy community project

Bialystok University of Technology has secured nearly 2 million PLN to fund the ESPO project, titled ‘ENERGIA społeczna – interdyscyplinarna platforma wspierająca rozwój lokalnych wspólnot energetycznych’. The funding was provided by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education through the ‘Science for Social Development’ program.

The project aims to address challenges in Poland’s energy transformation by enhancing the ability of municipalities and local communities to initiate, develop, and manage local energy communities. A central component of the initiative is the ESPO digital platform, which will provide analytical, predictive, educational, and legal advisory functions.

A multidisciplinary team of eleven researchers from the university’s Faculty of Management Engineering and Electrical Engineering will lead the project. The team combines expertise in social sciences, management, and economics with technical knowledge in renewable energy and power systems. The project received a perfect expert score of 40 out of 40 points, with high marks for its scientific value and potential for local community application.