The Life COMET ToolKit is designed for anyone looking to support the development of energy communities regardless of their current maturity level. It brings together a curated selection of existing tools, guidelines, strategies, and reference documents to equip project partners, energy communities, national coalitions, policymakers, and civil society organisations with practical knowledge and resources.
Its purpose is to strengthen local initiatives, improve regulatory environments, and promote inclusive and just energy transitions.
Why use this handbook?
The handbook provides access to materials that help energy communities address some of their most common challenges, including regulatory gaps, financial barriers, limited community engagement, and insufficient cooperation.
It serves as a comprehensive entry point for anyone aiming to:
- navigate complex regulatory frameworks and public policies,
- develop sustainable and flexible business models,
- effectively engage citizens and stakeholders, and
- promote fair access to renewable energy.
What’s inside?
The Life COMET Handbook is structured around 3 key themes, each addressing an essential dimension of citizen energy development. These themes reflect the 11 criteria used to assess the maturity of national frameworks for establishing and operating energy communities.
1. Frameworks for Enabling Citizen Energy
How policies, legal structures, and institutions can better support energy communities and integrate them into local, regional, and national strategies.
2. Practical Development of Citizen Energy
Business models, financing mechanisms, and technical solutions needed to build and operate sustainable community energy projects.
3. Growth of Citizen Energy
Stakeholder mobilisation, inclusion, communication, and knowledge exchange to strengthen long-term impact.
Based on the SCCALE methodology
To make navigation easy, the handbook follows the SCCALE model, outlining four stages of energy community development:
Inspiration → Preparation → Implementation → Operational Phase
Each resource is marked with an icon indicating the stage it most closely supports, helping users quickly find the tools that fit their current project maturity.
How to use the ToolKit
1. Choose the theme that fits your needs.
Each of 3 themes reflect a set of common challenges encountered by energy communities.
2. Select a pathway.
Each theme includes 7 pathways framed as practical questions. These gather tools and guides relevant to that specific issue.
3. Open and explore the recommended resources.
The handbook acts as an organised catalogue directing you to the most useful original materials.
4. Identify your development stage.
Use the SCCALE model to understand where your project currently stands:
Inspiration → Preparation → Implementation → Operational Phase5. Adapt the recommendations to your local context.
The tools are international — but your challenges are local. The handbook helps you determine which approaches can be tailored to your community’s maturity level and national/regional framework.
For more support, visit the Ce.En.Ze.
This content was produced as part of activities under the LIFE COMET project, under grant No. 101120519 co-funded through the LIFE, the European Union’s Environment and Climate Action Program (LIFE). The project is co-financed by the Office for Cooperation with NGOs of the Government of the Republic of Croatia.
The views expressed in this text are solely the responsibility of Green Energy Cooperative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
