Momentum is building around renewable energy sharing in Valais
A few months after its launch, COPÉR — the Community of Practice for Renewable Energy Sharing — is proving that it answers a real need in the region. The first three meetings brought together more than 120 participants: representatives from municipalities, businesses, grid operators, associations, academia, and civil society all came to learn, exchange, and connect.
A growing interest in Energy Communities
The early sessions revealed a shared observation: citizens want to play an active role in the energy transition. Discussions showed strong interest in the new possibilities offered by Local Electricity Communities (LEC) and Virtual Consumption Networks (vLCN). Many participants said they were ready to share their energy, while also expressing a need to better understand the technical, economic, legal, and organizational dimensions of these new models.
Beyond the technical and economic questions, the evenings highlighted something just as essential: sharing energy starts with sharing between people. Energy communities are built through meetings, dialogue, and trust among local actors.
The journey so far
21 April — L’Archipel, Sion
Why, how, and with whom should we share energy? with Ulrike Sturm (HSLU), Karine Roch (Energie Citoyenne) and Tristan Loloum (HES-SO Valais)
8 May — Provins, Espace Tourbillon, Sion
Solar for everyone: social innovation for energy sharing — the Future Urban Society Innovation Booster call for projects
23 June — Martigny
Is sharing energy profitable? Understanding the economic models with Stéphane Genoud (HES-SO Valais), Thomas Cretton (Synergy), Lionel Bloch (Planair), Mathieu Giroud (CREM)
From conversations to concrete projects
Through a call for projects launched with the Future Urban Society Innovation Booster, supported by Innosuisse, two Valais-based projects were selected, each receiving CHF 22,500 in funding to test new approaches for energy communities.
TOURNESOL will be developed in the Courvieux neighborhood of Martigny. This social-innovation initiative will support residents in building a local energy community, using participatory workshops and open-source digital tools to test a new way of producing, sharing, and collectively using renewable energy. The goal: show that a successful energy transition depends as much on citizen involvement as on technology. GovLab will develop a governance model to help energy communities scale across Switzerland. It proposes a new role called the Community Energy Steward to support local communities and bridge the technical, organizational, and human sides of the transition, backed by an open-source digital platform designed to be easily replicated elsewhere.
Together, these two projects capture what COPÉR is all about: turning exchange into experimentation, removing barriers to energy sharing, and creating inspiring examples for other communities.
What’s next?
The COPÉR programme picks back up in September, with new sessions on governance, legal frameworks, technical solutions, and lessons learned from the first pilot projects. By keeping this collective momentum going, COPÉR aims to support the long-term development of energy communities in Valais
