Article 12.3.2026

Light the bulb with us!

For the second year, we at Re-set have been working on the topic of community energy. Now, after more than a year of intense work, we have finally established an association. And this is where we need your support!

Light the bulb with us!

While households are struggling to pay their rising energy bills, energy companies are reporting record profits. Energy prices relative to purchasing power in the Czech Republic are among the highest in Europe: one in ten people in the country has trouble paying their energy bills. And in northern Bohemia, where wages and savings are lowest, this inequality is even more visible.

Community energy enables households to share renewable energy among themselves, thereby reducing their dependence on large energy companies. However, people at risk of energy poverty often lack sufficient initial investment and are excluded from community energy projects.

We want those who cannot afford their own solar panels to be able to switch to electricity from renewable sources. That is why we established the SK Žárovka (Lightbulb) energy community in Děčín. We bring together local households that have decided to share cleaner electricity and reduce their costs, which they can then return to the region.

There are currently five households in the Děčín area. We live in rented and owned properties, in apartments and family homes, with and without children. We are united not only by our desire to produce, use, and share renewable energy, but also by our desire to participate in the democratic management of our resources and the development of our community. This strengthens the independence, self-sufficiency, and resilience of the region.

In May 2024, we held the first meeting for a group of people interested in the possibilities of community electricity sharing in Děčín. Together, we learned about the principles of community energy, mapped out the possibilities and ideas of individual members, and set out on the path to establishing an energy cooperative.

During the summer, we went on an excursion to nearby Leipzig and its surroundings to see the initiatives there. For example, we visited Klima-Initiative-Taucha, which, in cooperation with the Leipzig energy cooperative Energiegenossenschaft Leipzig (EGL), built a system of solar panels at the local PartheBad Taucha swimming pool to power water pumps.

Meanwhile, we investigated whether the amendment to the law, known as LEX OZE II, which is intended to enable energy sharing, could also help people who, for various reasons, are unable to install photovoltaic panels on their own roofs. We met with local actors in the field of community energy and gathered experience from other initiatives. We identified the main obstacles and gaps in establishing an energy community, such as contractual relationships and the creation of a functional sharing model.

You may also remember that in the middle of last year we went on an excursion to Austria, where we wanted to draw inspiration from other examples of functioning energy communities.

Well, in the end, we decided on a sharing model and the form of an association! We have also written about our entire journey in a brochure Community Energy for All: The Story of Building an Energy Community in Czechia's Ústí nad Labem Region, where you will find not only an introduction to community energy, but also a description of the main obstacles we faced and how we overcame them.

The last obstacle preventing us from turning on the Lightbulb is purchasing the first solar panels. We want to use the collection to raise the first part of the initial investment—we need 200 people to send us 500 Kč — 100,000 Kč will then allow us to save 20% of the total cost of the solar installation. Support us on our journey towards an energy community that combines clean energy with the involvement of people at risk of energy poverty.

Article

Light the bulb with us!

12.3.2026 For the second year, we at Re-set have been working on the topic of community energy. Now, after more than a year of intense work, we have finally established an association. And this is where we need your support!

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