Karditsa Energy Community (ESEK)

The Energy Community of Karditsa (ESEK) was founded in 2010 as an energy cooperative and in 2019 it was transformed into an energy community in accordance with the provisions of Law 4513/2018. Since 2017, it operates a pellet factory that processes residual biomass into 1,200 tons of pellets annually. The biomass is composed of forest residues, agricultural residues, urban tree prunings, etc. coming from the Karditsa region, which has a significant potential of residual biomass. Thus, ESEK creates a value chain that benefits biomass suppliers, transporters, and local citizens.

The pellets are used for heating or cooling, meeting a significant portion of the region’s energy demand. ESEK’s 350 members enjoy the benefit of acquiring these pellets at a reduced price, creating a localised and sustainable energy solution.

ESEK has managed to create a local ecosystem of actors (municipal authorities, citizens, small and medium-sized enterprises, and other initiatives) that, cooperating with each other, utilise the local wealth and produce their own energy.

Coffee ground pellets

In 2022, in the framework of the BECoop project, Karditsa Energy Community started using residual coffee grounds to produce pellets. With appropriate processing, these coffee grounds can be transformed into 100% natural, high-quality pellets. This innovative approach offers an opportunity for a region that generates over 600 tonnes of residual coffee per year, as estimated by ESEK. To implement this idea, the energy community, in cooperation with non-profit organisation InCommOn, created a system to collect coffee waste in dedicated bins used by citizens and local coffee houses.

ESEK also collaborated with the municipality of Karditsa to install a biomass boiler fuelled by coffee pellets in a local kindergarten. This new boiler replaced an old oil boiler, meeting the building’s heat demand at a lower cost and with reduced environmental impact. In the future, they plan to extend the initiative to other schools.

Photovoltaic park

In collaboration with a member of the community, ESEK plans to build a PV park to cover the electricity needs of members through the process of virtual net metering.