The Green Energy Cooperative (ZEZ) is the only organization to receive a grant for a renewable energy project at the Google.org Impact Challenge for Central and Eastern Europe. The grant was approved for ZEZ’s  project SOL4ALL – Community-Led Solarization.

The Google.org Impact Challenge for Central and Eastern Europe is one in a series of competitions organized by Google to help realize ideas that solve specific problems or support a particular community in the city, continent or planet. The USD 2 million competition for Central and Eastern Europe aims to help initiatives that put digital inclusion at the heart of economic recovery.

SOL4ALL – Community-Led Solarization encourages women to use solar energy in their households

The Green Energy Cooperative has received funding for the SOL4ALL – Community-Led Solarization project, which puts citizens at the center of the energy transition. The project  will encourage local citizens, especially women, to actively participate in renewable energy projects by teaching them how to invest, efficiently use and produce solar energy in their homes using digital technologies.

The project should result in the installation of 10 MW of solar power plants in the Western Balkans

ZEZ’s goal is to encourage the installation of 10 MW of solar capacity in the Western Balkans. We will strengthen the resilience of cities, encourage a just economic recovery and influence the development of green jobs, ZEZ added.

ZEZ is one of 13 organizations that received a total of EUR 2 million from Google, and among the winners are also organizations from Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia. Each of them will get EUR 50,000-250,000, and in addition mentoring and technical support from the global technology company in order to make their ideas a reality.

Citizens can be the main drivers of the transition to clean energy

Erica Svetec, from ZEZ, said the organization believes that citizens can significantly contribute to climate action and be the main drivers of the transition to clean energy.

Strengthening their knowledge and understanding of renewable energy sources should play a big role in these activities, and digital education are seen as a means to achieve that vision, she said. “We are thrilled that Google.org is supporting us in developing the project that unites us! This is a great opportunity for us and our citizens to contribute to carbon neutrality”