Energy Community Gabrovo – RDNO

The municipality of Gabrovo and members of the energy community are pooling resources, funds, land, knowledge and time to harvest their own energy together.

The energy community has 73 members, including Gabrovo residents, citizens from other parts of Bulgaria, and six legal entities. Members are a diverse group of profiles united by the desire of developing an innovative approach to providing clean energy, learning more about the cooperative model and investing in solar production. It operates a 100 kWp photovoltaic installation located at the regional waste management site of the Municipality of Gabrovo. Nearly all of the electricity produced is used within the community – partly consumed on site and partly allocated between members through the grid.

The model addresses several practical challenges. Electricity is a market commodity with unpredictable prices, which creates uncertainty for households and small businesses. By shortening the distance between production and consumption, the community improves predictability and reduces exposure to market volatility. At the same time, local production reduces transmission losses and limits the need for additional grid infrastructure.

A key element of the initiative is transparency. Members receive monthly reports on production, energy allocation and financial performance. A shared digital workspace provides access to documents, protocols and financial data, while a dedicated platform visualises daily production and monthly distribution of energy among members. This allows informed participation and builds trust within the community.

The governance model is democratic and simple – one member, one vote – regardless of investment size. Decisions are taken collectively, based on real data and open discussion. The community maintains regular communication and actively involves members in strategic choices, including expansion options and new investments.

A pilot inclusion of a residential consumer is already in place, testing how households can participate in real energy sharing schemes. This is seen as an important step towards broader inclusion, including the future involvement of vulnerable households.

Beyond its local role, the community is increasingly recognised as a practical example in Bulgaria. Together with the Municipality of Gabrovo, it contributes to discussions with national institutions, regulators and international partners on how to enable energy communities in practice.

Gabrovo Energy Community shows how a local, inclusive and transparent model can function in real conditions, and how it can be gradually expanded to support a more resilient and community-driven energy system.