Course: DISCOVER the PILOTS - Stakeholder workshops in Bulgaria with IESDI

Empowering Local Energy Futures: DISCOVER Stakeholder Workshop Lights Up Dryanovo

Hello IESDI! You have designed the new/advanced service and now it is time to discuss it with Bulgarian stakeholders. Briefly tell us how your Stakeholder Workshop went.

On April 3, 2025, the picturesque town of Dryanovo hosted a pivotal stakeholder workshop led by IESDI, drawing together key voices from the municipalities of Dryanovo and Tryavna, along with our valued partner, the Chamber of Energy Communities in Bulgaria (CECB). This vibrant session sparked insightful discussions and yielded crucial feedback for shaping the DISCOVER project’s service design in Bulgaria.

What was the main objective you had set for the workshop? Do you feel it was achieved?

At the core of the workshop was a clear, compelling mission: to test whether DISCOVER’s proposed service truly meets the needs of municipalities launching Community Energy Projects (CEPs). Through lively debate and in-depth questionnaires, municipal leaders opened up about the realities they face – and the future they envision – In Bulgaria’s energy transition.

The co-design process

Was there a particular moment that stood out during the workshop?

One key takeaway? Local leaders want more than just solar. While photovoltaic (PV) projects are valuable, attendees emphasized the need for diverse, mixed-type energy solutions, including heat pumps and biomass systems. This call to broaden the scope ignited a productive exchange on expanding the project’s toolkit to better reflect local energy priorities.

How did stakeholders respond to the DISCOVER project activities you presented? Did new inputs raise from the discussion?

The DISCOVER tools—especially the General Guidebook and New Advanced Service – received encouraging feedback. Participants praised the structured, professional framework, while also calling for critical adaptations to fit Bulgaria’s unique legal and technical landscape. Among their top recommendations:

Align the service with recent legal changes, including the Spatial Planning Act and Environmental Protection Act.
Integrate a simulation tool for financial modelling and business planning tailored to community energy ventures.
Ensure the service can support a wide array of renewable technologies, not just PV-based systems.

Future steps

What are your next steps after the workshop? Do you have any further engagement activities planned in your area?

The insights shared in Dryanovo will directly inform the next iteration of the DISCOVER service—ensuring it’s flexible, future-ready, and rooted in municipal realities. Looking ahead, IESDI is committed to deepening its engagement with Bulgarian municipalities. These continued dialogues will be vital in building a service that empowers communities across the country to take charge of their clean energy future.

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