Tribute on the Newspaper PROTO THEMA–Marianna Tzanne

How do they implement the energy revolution in the world of net zero

The government will continue to battle with high prices in the electricity market in the coming months, as price fluctuations are projected to be maintained at a particularly high level, putting pressure on Greek households and businesses. The unstable environment, according to analysts’ forecasts, will be the main feature of 2022, creating additional financing needs for home consumers and professionals who should bear the effects of the crisis and are required to pay inflated bills even after subsidies.

WenCoop is an energy cooperative  which counts only one year of life. However, it came to embrace 60 women entrepreneurs all over Greece in an unprecedented situation of ignition of electric power tariffs.

The first solar power plant that will start working this spring in Halkidiki, with 1MW power, will not only boost female entrepreneurship in the energy sector, as was the original goal, but will also cover electricity costs at almost 100% of cooperative members’ consumption.

The energy cooperative, broad popular based with small shares in order to increase women’s participation, has built the first project of its portfolio in record time, setting the next steps in our energy ecosystem by developing a dynamic RES portfolio that will exceed 3 MW and about a month ago was invited in Rome for the G20 Women’s Forum (Woman 20) in order to participate in the energy panel organized by the Italian giant ENEL!

Who would have imagined that 60 women from different business backgrounds and cultures – from crafts to services, trade and hotels – would join forces to develop Europe’s first energy cooperative, raising € 400,000 and putting the energy revolution into practice in the world of net zero.

“When we started, we did not know that we were a pioneer, we realized it along the way. In fact, last December at the W20 in Rome, which is an international leading platform for promoting the voice and vision of women, we were invited to present WenCoop as a good international practice in the energy sector,” said Ms. Apostolina Tsaltampasi.

Apostolina Tsaltampasi, President of the Greek Association of Women Entrepreneurs (SEGE) and President of WenCoop

The President of the Greek Association of Women Entrepreneurs (SEGE) and President of WenCoop is a businesswoman that manages 12 companies in Greece, Europe and Asia in the field of consulting and business development through the Oecon Group.

Together with the Vice President Mrs. Alice Corovessi, who founded INZEB non-profit independent organization and is active in the field of energy saving, project financing and the fight against energy poverty, they are the soul of the team that was born from the heart of SEGE.

Alice Corovessi, Vice President of energy cooperative and Genelar Secretary of SEGE

Why Energy?

Even before the energy storm of high prices broke out, the Association was looking for actions that would strengthen the role of women in the economy and in fact in an area such as energy where their presence is very limited.

It took several workshops between members, analysis of models, ideas and proposals to reach the production of energy from RES and to drop the seed throughout the country. The foundations of this initiative are laid by the first solar power plant, which is under construction, while preparations have already begun for the second megawatt in the area of Kassandra (Halkidiki), planning at least two more similar projects.

The timing is considered ideal for the investment of 60 women, as through the autonomy provided by the energy community, companies will cover the cost of electricity, which is one of the most important operating costs.

In addition to self-consumption, the cooperative will sell electricity to the grid, while it has planned to distribute free quantities to vulnerable groups, mainly single-parent families of women, etc.

A sample of determination, methodical work and teamwork, the women energy cooperative managed to overcome the invincible Greek bureaucracy. Within 12 months the application for the solar power station was submitted to the Energy Regulatory Authority, bought the plot and in November 2021 got the connection conditions. The project, which has begun the construction, will be completed by the end of February in order to “lock in” the highest price per kilowatt/hour. Today, the compensation for the solar power plants that are developed by the energy cooperatives is 65 euros per megawatt/hour.

It took two months to sign the statute

“What I think helped us is that we worked the other way around compared to classical practice. For example, we avoided going to the offered plots and chose land where there was free electricity in order to speed up the procedures and get quick connection terms “, says the president of the cooperative.

Last summer, the number of shareholders of the energy community was agreed, with minimum payment 500 euros per share and the statute was signed by 60 members, from almost every corner of the country, from Crete to Komotini!

However, the only disagreement was the process of signing the statute. According to the members of the association, in an era of e-government it took two months to complete the signatures and couriers were recruited all over Greece to sign the relevant documents by all women. This was one of the reasons why the shares in the energy cooperative were reduced to 60, while another 100 interested women are waiting in line.

We ask the community executives if the men “fit” in the group. The answer is that only 5% of WenCoop is owned by men and that is a reflection, because they are shareholders or partners in companies that participate in the community.

As Mrs. Corovessi points out, the next step is to use the energy produced in electromobility. This can be achieved by increasing the capacity of cooperative projects to over 3 MW and in conjunction with electric vehicle charging stations. The development of synergies with gas stations that are members of the association or with existing companies with part of the energy produced is being studied.

As the vice president of the energy cooperative and general secretary of SEGE explains to us, the speed with which the implementation of the project proceeded and its development continues is based on the organization and the operating model that the members apply in their own businesses.

As she says, energy cooperatives are an important vehicle for the transition to a green economy and function as important tools to achieve the EU goal. making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

“Energy cooperatives offer opportunities for all, and through them, citizens are helped both in the effort to promote energy produced from clean sources, and in the protection of the environment.”

Anastasia Savvidou, General Secretary of the WEnCoop and shareholder and an executive in the company ARISTOTELIS SA- Knitting Factory

Christina Vraka, Treasurer of the Energy Cooperative WEnCoop, Co-founder and CEO of the  Dot2dot SCE

Sofia Topi, Member of BoD and president and founding member of the Cooperative “ORIZONES AXIOU”

Today, WenCoop’s Board of Directors has a strong core of five women. Apart from Ms. Tsaltampasi and Ms. Corovessi, the ladies involved are Anastasia Savvidou, shareholder and an executive in the company ARISTOTELIS SA- Knitting Factory, as General Secretary, Christina Vraka, Treasurer of the Energy Cooperative WEnCoop Co-founder and CEO of the Dot2dot SCE in the field of organizing cultural organizations and guided tours and Sofia Topi, Member of BoD and president and founding member of the Cooperative “ORIZONES AXIOU”, one of the largest Greek rice production companies.

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