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On February 2, the screening of “Human Energy” during “Weekend for Climate” took place. It is a three-day event of local climate activism with cultural events such as film screenings, workshops and concerts.

We would like to thank the Radek Wroński for an invitation and Aeris Futuro foundation for sponsoring the “Human Energy” screening. Also, we would like to thank for Michał Żyłowski and Stanisław Zarychta for great photos.

How did this happen? We would like to tell you a little story.

When we were on COP24 with our movie „Human Energy“, after the screening one man from an audience (Radek Wroński from Krakow) ask a question to Dirk Vansintian what was the beginning of his cooperative Ecopower?

Less than a month later, he spoke to us saying that he tries to do a screening in Krakow. He found a foundation and they agreed to sponsor the screening oh their ecological event.

Radek Wroński was a one of the first, in Poland who made his own photovoltaic installation on the block. By generating energy near the places where it is consumed, energy losses during electricity transmission are reduced. He wondered how to do it: to have access to his own solar energy, not living at home, but in a block where he did not have his own roof.

But does such a small photovoltaic plant make sense? First of all, you could produce so-called “clean electricity” without the emission of CO2 and other substances hazardous to health. Secondly, you give electricity to the grid and reduce the consumption of electricity from coal-fired power plants by other consumers. For the purpose of choosing the size of the installation, it is assumed that in Poland, a 1 kWp photovoltaic installation (“p” is a designation of peak power achieved in specific laboratory conditions) produces annually approx. 1,000 kWh of electricity (1 MWh). Of course, this depends on the particular inclination and orientation of the panels. In 2017, a statistical Pole consumed almost 4MWh per year (according to the current president of PGNiG and Tauron).

Knowing that in the long run, he can reduce his bills at least by 1/4 he decided that it was worth to take the time and check how it is possible from a legal point of view. The housing Association had to give him permission to use his share of the roof, he had previously calculated. He had to talk to the housing Association authorities and collect the majority of positive signatures from the tenants under the written community resolution.

What happened next? Everything else went on normally. He found a contractor who installed panels and could start using the new form of energy right away. It took a while to convince people of the idea, but now his neighbours think to do something like that. Now Radek thinks about creating an Energy Cluster and as part of it: energy cooperative as a coordinating entity.

In Poland, more and more often you can find programs to subsidize renewable energy installations.
But that’s another story …