TIME TO CELEBRATE THE FIRST ENERGY COMMUNITY SCHOOL PROJECT IN SPAIN
The EU has set itself the ambition to “Develop a Citizens Energy Package to increase citizens participation in the energy transition and strengthen the social dimension of the European Union”.

In Spain the EU AURORA project is tackling climate change by putting these words into action at the Palomeras Cultural Centre School in Madrid, in partnership with the AURORA project and the energy co-operative Ecooo.

The school, managed by its own teaching staff, is embracing photovoltaic self-consumption and air source heat pumps to tackle the challenges of climate change for the benefit of its students and the educational community. More than 300 children in Vallecas will soon say goodbye to extreme classroom temperatures.
Backed by the AURORA Project, led by the Politecnical University of Madrid Campus Sur and supported through the European initiative of the same name, the school is now well on course to raise €150,000 in four months through a participatory loan campaign. This effort will allow the school to replace its outdated gas boiler, break free from fossil fuels and the energy oligopoly, and become the first school in the region to lead a citizen-driven climate revolution.

How will this be done?
The school will install 43 kWp solar panels and air source heat pumps to ensure proper climate control while reducing CO₂ emissions. The initiative improves the school's resilience to extreme weather, boosts sustainability, and reduces energy bills — savings that will be used to repay the loans at a 1.5% annual interest rate before tax.

How do citizens get involved in collective financing
Citizens participate in several ways. Anyone can contribute from €100, while university and vocational training students can invest from just €20. It’s also possible to invest in the name of minors, with consent from their legal guardians.
The minimum goal of the campaign to raise €50,000 has been achieved — with the solar panel installation as a priority. The second target of €150,000 will allow the school to cover all of its energy needs through the installation of the air source heat pumps. Funding has now reached €114,000 , enough to install one of the two air source heat pumps required. The push is now on to raise the remaining funds by end April 2025.

Ecooo: Citizen Energy for Real Change
With over 20 years of experience in energy justice, Ecooo was selected by the Politecnical University of Madrid to lead this project. They have a track record in collective self-consumption and energy communities, and are driving to build fairer and more democratic energy models.
Projects like this one show that energy transition is not only necessary — it’s possible with active citizen participation. Local communities can take control of their energy, reduce their environmental impact, and generate tangible benefits for everyone involved.

Join the change
If you want to help push the school to achieve its full ambitions and become the first school in Spain to undergo a full energy transition, thanks to grassroots citizens support, it is now possible for anyone in Europe to join and make a contribution. If you'd like to be part of this energy revolution and help build a fairer and more sustainable future, we invite you to join the AURORA Project. Complete the form at https://colegiocentroculturalpalomeras.com/formulario-inversion-program…
I have !
You will then see how it all works and perhaps, perhaps, be inspired to replicate what is happening in Spain, in your school, in your neighbourhood. By working together as a European Education Community we can trail blaze the energy transition. Just imagine the impact if the other 400+ schools in Madrid alone went down this path. But why stop at Madrid, any school in Europe can follow this model, you could be next !

Martin Brocklehurst
AURORA Project – Tackling Climate Change
EU Climate Pact Ambassador
PS If you want to find out more join the Higher Education, Schools and Energy Community online workshop on 30th April 2025 at 12.00-14.00hrs (CET)
https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/95738464568#success

WORKSHOP ON HIGHER EDUCATION SCHOOLS AND ENERGY COMMUNITIES
30TH APRIL 2025 12.00 – 14.00HRS
MEETING URL - https://shorturl.at/QCQ49
Come and join as workshop designed to show you how to set up an energy community in your school, your University.
Learn about the first school in Spain that has set up an energy community and is about to install renewable energy, both solar and air source heat pumps.
Learn about the first University in Denmark that has set up an energy community, funded, installed and now operates solar energy for Aarhus University and links it to the AURORA Energy Tracker app, helping students and staff to lower their own personal carbon footprints and to see the energy being generated.
Learn about the first school that is about to receive approval for an energy community to install solar energy in the UK and set a national precedent.
These schemes avoid any capital cost to the education budget, raise funds through share issues, lower energy costs for the site and pay a return on investment and still leave funds left for the next phase of the scheme.
What is not to like about diverting fossil fuel costs back into your community, cutting carbon emissions, lowering energy costs and leading the charge towards renewable energy.
The workshop is an open event and full details on the programme can be found at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GhBGE0ye5WzW8-K3WFBwRm-k1HSKi6RX03B…
The event is supported by the EU policy departments, DG Energy; DG Education and DG Clima. Log in early to the event to avoid disappointment as spaces are limited to 300. Make sure leading members of your educational institution come and find out how they can be leaders in the energy transition in your community.
Spread the word through your networks about this event and imagine if every school and every University in Europe set up its own energy community what the impact would be.
Martin Brocklehurst
Project AURORA – A citizen science project tackling climate change
WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
2 APRIL 2025

POST ON THE EU EDUCATION FOR CLIMATE SITE
Call for Delegation Members
Citizen Science Global Partnership Delegation (CSGP) to UNEA7 5-12th December 2025 Nairobi Kenya.
The Citizen Science Global Partnership will be leading a self-funded global delegation of citizen scientists to the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA7) in Nairobi Kenya.
As part of our efforts to build a broader coalition of delegate members the CSGP would like to offer the opportunity to EU Education for Climate members to join the delegation. Spaces for delegates to join the CSGP delegation will be limited so early submission of your interest will be essential.
The Global Citizen Science Community has attended four previous UNEA meetings starting in 2017. Each has added substantially to the growth of the global citizen science community and to our strengthening working relationship with UNEP. As a direct result of attending UNEA we have:
• set up the Citizen Science Global Partnership, initially as a loose coalition of Regional Citizen Science Association and now as a fully-fledged NGO;
• developed and adopted a Charter for Citizen Science and multilateral environmental agreements;
• become an accepted part of the UN Science Policy Business Forum;
• gained recognition as a key partner with the UN major Groups and in particular the UN Major Group Science and Technology;
• set up and developed the World Environment Situation Room (WESR) Citizen Science Portal, building a close working relationship with the UNEP Chief Scientists Office; and
• seen adoption of citizen science as a method for delivery of the Kunming Montreal Framework for Biodiversity, the first multilateral environmental agreement (MEA) to recognise the value of citizen science.
This year for the first time the focus of our activities will be to make the case that UNEA needs to support global citizen science programmes tackling urban air pollution and climate change. We believe that educational institutions can play a major part in these programmes. In the lead up to UNEA7 we will be working to develop common global citizen science tools, techniques and data management systems with the aim of presenting these ideas at UNEA. Work on the common methods for climate change mitigation will be led by the EU Climate Pact Partner, AURORA – Tackling Climate Change
Potential delegates will need to submit their names to Martin Brocklehurst (martin.brocklehurst@me.com) who will lead his fourth delegation to UNEA7 and copy the E Mail to Ram Dayal Vaishnav (ram@citizenscience.asia) who this year is providing administrative support for the delegation.
As the delegation forms we will set up a series of meetings to plan the activities of the delegation and to support delegates navigate the UNEP application process (only members of accredited NGO’s can take part), resolve Kenyan visa issues and generally support delegates on their trip to Nairobi. As in previous years all delegates will need to self-fund their travel and accommodation unless EU Education for Climate Members can secure sponsorship for delegates or unless delegates can get Member State support.
Regards
Martin

LATEST PROJECT AURORA NEWSLETTER - Late Winter / Spring 2025.

As spring arrives read the latest project AURORA - Tackling Climate Change Newsletter. 2025 is full of promise for citizen science and our efforts to put citizens at the heart of tackling climate change, a chance for you to reduce your carbon footprint, save thousands of ££££ in the process and make a difference. Download the AURORA Energy Tracker App from the App Store to help you in that process. Log onto the AURORA Dashboard via our website and see how we are now generating renewable energy from the efforts of the AURORA pilot programmes. Even better follow our lead and start your own community energy scheme, you will be amazed at how much cash can be saved.

All the stories are in our Newsletter at:
https://mailchi.mp/aurora-h2020/newsletter-winter-2025-website
Go to our website and register for our Newsletter so it can be sent directly to you.

Dear all,

this is a reminder of the GreenComp community café that will take place tomorrow from 17:00-18:00 CET. Find more information here: https://education-for-climate.ec.europa.eu/community/GreenCompCommunity…

Hope to see many of you there!

We would like to invite you to our online event to celebrate the launch of our new teaching materials "Save our nature - Let's explore together - Videos for primary". Teachers from nine countries have created the content, which combines STEM and the environment with an inquiry-based learning approach, takes into account the diversity of children, and can be used directly in the classroom.
On 8 April, the authors will present the teaching units and show how the materials can be used in practice. There will also be time for questions and answers.
Date and time: 08 April 2025, 16:00 - 17:30 CEST
Target group: Teachers for the age group 6-12 years, multipliers
Registration link: www.science-on-stage.eu/publication-save-our-nature
We look forward to seeing you at this event!
Best regards,
Stefanie Schlunk

Dear All, this is a reminder about the Community Cafe that will take place on 19 February at 4.30 pm. Register if you have not yet: https://education-for-climate.ec.europa.eu/community/challenge_hub/even…

COULD THIS BE YOUR SCHOOL - TAKE POSITIVE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE - FIRST SCHOOL IN SPAIN JOINS AN ENERGY COMMUNITY TO ACHIEVE ITS ENERGY TRANSITION -

READ THEIR STORY AND LEARN FROM THEIR EXAMPLE

More than 300 children in Madrid say goodbye to extreme temperatures at school
In the Heart of Madrid, a School is leading the Way in Energy Sustainability. The Colegio Centro Cultural Palomeras is spearheading a transformation toward energy sustainability. This educational institution, managed as a cooperative by its teachers, has embraced photovoltaic self-consumption and air source heat pumps to tackle the challenges of climate change. Thanks to these efforts, over 300 children from Madrid can say goodbye to extreme temperatures in their school.
This shift is part of the Aurora Project, led by the South Campus of the Polytechnic University of Madrid and funded through the European initiative that shares its name. The school aims to raise €150,000 in just four months via a crowdfunding campaign in a loan format with interest rates of 1.5%. This initiative seeks to replace the school’s aging gas boiler, leaving fossil fuels behind.
The crowdfunding campaign is open, allowing anyone interested to participate by filling out a simple form. This represents a historic moment, as Centro Cultural Palomeras would become the first school in Spain to achieve an energy transition with the support of its community.
The planned upgrades include photovoltaic panels and air source heat pumps, which will ensure effective climate control within the school while reducing CO2 emissions. This initiative not only bolsters the school’s resilience to extreme temperatures but also generates significant economic savings on energy bills—essential for repaying the loans with an annual interest rate of 1.5% before taxes.
Anyone can participate with a minimum contribution of €100, while university or vocational students can join with just €20. Contributions on behalf of minors are also welcomed, provided consent is obtained from their parents or legal guardians.
The campaign’s minimum goal is to raise €50,000, prioritizing the installation of photovoltaic systems for self-consumption. Reaching €150,000 would ensure optimal funding, covering all the school’s energy needs, generating 56,116 kWh/year, and saving a total of 7,295 kg of CO2 annually. Over 70 people have already joined the project, enabling the first milestone to be met.
Colegio Centro Cultural Palomeras exemplifies the transformative potential of educational institutions, which not only raise awareness among younger generations but also act as engines of social transformation within their communities. Educational communities are powerful drivers of change, leading the shift toward a sustainable energy model. Citizen participation is crucial in proving that alternative approaches are possible, ensuring that over 300 Madrid students leave extreme temperatures behind in their school.

European Climate Pact’s annual event

If you are interested in the power of citizens to tackle climate change come and listen to a 90 minutes session on –

"Citizen Science - Harnessing its power for climate action".

This free event is being held online as part of this year’s European Climate Pact's annual event on 19th March 2025 in Brussels.
You can do something about climate change.
Register and find the agenda here
https://climate-pact.europa.eu/articles-and-events/events/european-clim…

Project AURORA https://www.aurora-h2020.eu
#EUClimate #ClimateChange #AURORAH2020 #CitizenScience #EnergyConservation
Martin Brocklehurst
Chair Citizen Science Global Partnership
EU Climate Pact Ambassador
EU AURORA Project – Tackling Climate Change Partner