11/09/2026
ā” See below how an energy community in rural Estonia works!
In the small village of Obinitsa in southeast Estonia, local berry growers relied on a cold storage facility to freeze their harvest for market-ready goods. When a power outage once stopped the freezing equipment from restarting automatically ā and no warning was sent ā several tonnes of berries melted. Combined with steadily rising electricity bills, the need for a more reliable energy solution became impossible to ignore.
Community members came together to find a more sustainable, affordable alternative. That search led them to the idea of producing local renewable energy, and eventually to founding an energy cooperative. Today, Obinitsa's cold storage facility runs on 100% self-produced renewable electricity through Estonia's first community co-op renewable energy project. Beyond supporting local berry growers, the facility also benefits the members of the energy co-operative, strengthening the area's energy security as a whole.
On September 22, energy experts and community members from across the Baltic Sea Region will come together for a day-long conference exploring how to establish energy communities using the resources already at hand. At the conference, we'll also launch the StartSun Start-Up Guidebook, which offers clear, step-by-step guidance for anyone looking to set up an energy community of their own. View more info and register here: https://pk.emu.ee/en/events/from-idea-to-community-launching-solar-energy-communities
We're excited to bring together practitioners from across the Baltic Sea Region, including LƤnsstyrelsen Ćstergƶtland, Zemgales ReÄ£ionÄlÄ EnerÄ£Ätikas AÄ£entÅ«ra / Zemgale Regional Energy Agency, Eesti MaaĆ¼likool/Estonian University of Life Sciences, Green Net Finland, ZaÄ¼Ä BrÄ«vÄ«ba, Tartu Regiooni Energiaagentuur, Ć
tvidabergs Kommun, Jelgava City Municipality, Jekabpils County Council, University of Tartu, Co-operative Seto Aiad and Kalevipoja Koda.
