The Békéscsaba municipality in Hungary is advancing community energy generation through the Horizon Europe-financed ENPOWER project. This article explores how the city creates environmental, economic, and social benefits by involving communities in energy generation.
Credit: Lechner Tudásközpont
The “Smart Microgrid Phase I-II” energy programme
The Békéscsaba municipality’s “Smart Microgrid Phase I-II” energy program is a pilot under the ENPOWER Project. The program focuses on installing community-based green energy infrastructure to promote local energy generation and consumption, thereby achieving decarbonization.
The city implements a microgrid system that supports communities to combine localized power generation, such as solar panels on residents’ rooftops, with energy from a power generation company to ensure a stable supply.
A smart grid system will be installed in parallel. A smart grid is an electricity network that enables a two-way flow of power and data, so that the city can monitor and adjust energy supply accordingly.
To support the creation of a smart grid system, a smart meter rollout is underway, with the city aiming to be the first Hungarian city to complete a full deployment of smart electricity meters.
The objective of the smart grid includes:
- Increasing the share of renewable energy production: the electricity demand of the existing and planned buildings of the city, and within it, the Municipal Sports Center, should be supplied as much as possible from renewable energy sources.
- Optimizing electricity costs: the municipality’s electricity procurement expenditure should be reduced as much as possible.
- Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions: to reduce as much as possible the environmental impact (CO2 emissions) of the use of electricity in the city.
The scope of this program is to establish an energy community and enhance community engagement in Békéscsaba in collaboration with OurPower and ENASCO.
Péter Szarvas
Mayor of Békéscsaba
Energy demand is constantly rising in cities, and at the same time, we are facing a growing number of major environmental challenges. We can embrace these challenges with systems that integrate innovative technology with environmental objectives.”
Management
The municipality performs several functions through its energy community:
- Managing renewable energy assets,
- Offering energy services, and
- Coordinating between citizens, distribution network operators and government organisations.
Programme achievement
In phase 1, the municipality built 3 solar parks, where
- 2 solar parks over parking lots with a total of 2,390 panels;
- 1 ground-mounted solar park with 850 panels;
- A battery energy storage was built with a capacity of 2,435 MWh;
- A transformer station with concrete housing;
- A smart grid center was constructed.
The nominal installed capacity is 1296 kWp.
In the future, the municipality plans to expand the program to cover municipal buildings, industrial complexes, and citizens in the energy community.
Lessons learned
A smart microgrid system encourages citizens to join an energy community and generate renewable power. By connecting to this smart microgrid, residents are assured of a stable energy supply—often a major concern when transitioning to renewables. This integrated approach not only reduces the city’s overall carbon footprint but also creates economic efficiency; in many cases, the community can sell excess generated energy back to the main grid, preventing waste.
Ultimately, the Békéscsaba’s case demonstrates how municipal leadership and smart technology can transform passive consumers into active participants in a sustainable energy future.