In October 2025, ManagEnergy Expert Francisco Puente travelled to Bulgaria to support SOFENA – the Sofia Energy Agency – in strengthening the development of energy communities across the region.

As part of the 22nd ManagEnergy Expert Mission, Francisco Puente from ESCAN visited Sofia from 28–30 October 2025 to support SOFENA in accelerating the emergence of energy communities in Bulgaria’s capital region.

Established in 2001 under the EU’s SAVE II Programme, SOFENA has become a key player in supporting the local energy transition. With a core team of four experts and a strong network of external collaborators, the agency assists local authorities in shaping sustainable energy policies, promoting energy efficiency, delivering energy audits, and encouraging the deployment of renewable technologies. SOFENA works closely with strategic partners including Sofia Municipality, the Sustainable Energy Development Agency, and local utilities to address major urban challenges—from reducing air pollution to optimising energy use in buildings and public transport systems.

Deepening Local Insight and Strategic Vision

The first day of the Expert Mission was dedicated to an in-depth exchange with the SOFENA team. The agency presented its comprehensive knowledge of the local energy landscape, outlining the regulatory framework, recent project achievements, and the specific challenges faced by emerging energy communities in Sofia.

The discussions revealed SOFENA’s strong strategic capacities, particularly its role in guiding local authorities and facilitating citizen-led initiatives. As Expert Francisco Puente noted, “SOFENA’s expert mission showcased its strategic leadership in advancing energy communities through deep local insight, stakeholder engagement, and a clear vision for necessary regulatory change.”

Bringing Stakeholders Together

On the second day, SOFENA organised a conference gathering a broad range of stakeholders, followed by a high-level roundtable with political representatives. These exchanges highlighted both the momentum behind energy communities and the persistent barriers hindering their growth.

Stakeholders discussed the opportunities for citizen participation, the role of municipalities in driving collective energy action, and the need for clear, supportive regulations. The conversations confirmed that while interest is strong, structural and administrative challenges must still be addressed to enable communities to flourish.

“Energy Communities are our common future and the driving force for their establishment is the Bulgarian local authorities.”
SOFENA

For more information, please visit: https://managenergy.ec.europa.eu/managenergy-discover/managenergy-news/managenergy-expert-mission-22-supporting-rise-energy-communities-sofia-2025-11-18_en

How can energy communities help shape tomorrow’s electricity markets?

At EUSEW 2025 — the EU’s flagship event for renewables and energy efficiency — DE-RISK took part in a policy session exploring the potential of Local Flexibility Markets to deliver cleaner, fairer, and more secure energy systems.

Representing SEA SOFENA, Nadya Nikolova Deme presented the DE-RISK policy roadmap and shared key recommendations to support flexible, community-driven energy models across Europe.

The event took part on 11 June 2025 | 16:30–18:00 CEST, at EUSEW Policy Conference, Charlemagne Building (Brussels) & Online
The title of the session was: “Energy communities’ potential for the future of electricity markets: robust and green energy for all”

Learn more about DE-RISK: https://deriskproject.eu

SOFENA was part of the EUKI Networking Conference, organized in Bucharest on 10.04.2025.

The event brought together organisations and partners from Romania, and Bulgaria to engage in collective discussions on advancing climate action and renewable energy initiatives nationally, regionally and across Europe.

The conference was officially opened by Mr. Peer Gebauer, Ambassador, German Embassy in Romania, Mr. Radko Vlaykov, Ambassador, Bulgarian Embassy in Romania and Mr. Radu Dudău, President, Energy Policy Group.

In the thematic discussions rounds we had the chance to talk about the good results received in EUKI -MENEREGRS project, in which SOFENA is a partner.

The future cooperation possibilities were enriched by good examples on regional and local initiatives as role models for national progress, discussed in the panel, moderated by Kamelia Georgieva from NTEF.

Diana Paunova-Galeva, a chief expert at SOFENA participated in a ManagEnergy Master Class that aimed to equip Energy Agencies and Regional and Local Authorities across Europe with the skills and knowledge to foster, stimulate and develop sustainable energy projects in Europe. Designed to build the capacity, expertise and knowledge of energy agencies’ staff, these Master Classes also presented opportunities for networking with peers.
The course included 3 full days of intense training on the theme of One-Stop-Shops.
This Class was delivered in a blended learning format:
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• A first online session will take place on 10 January 2025 morning;
• The second session is face-to-face in Brussels on 22-23 January(one and a half day);
• The third and final session will be online on 6 February.

The format of the classes includes problem-solving exercises, workshops, case studies and guest lectures from agencies and organisations relevant to energy investments. 

The module focused on the design, development and operation of One-Stop- Shops (OSS).  While significant focus is given to OSS in the residential retrofit sector the module also considered use of OSS on other areas e.g. heat, energy communities, SMEs etc.  The Masterclass addressed market analysis, definition of OSS model appropriate to the sector/region, scope of operations of OSS (from advice through to technical support to finance).  Financial models for OSS and risk assessment including technical, financial, organisation, policy. 
This Master Class was delivered by experts from Ireland and was supported by guest speakers from Netherlands, Brussels and Hungary.

The CEATY project, an Erasmus+ initiative focused on empowering young people in the fight against climate change, recently hosted a successful “National Clean Energy Ambassador Day” at the “Academic Emiliyan Stanev” school in Sofia. Held on November 26th, 2024, the event attracted a diverse audience of students, teachers, and parents eager to learn about clean energy and sustainable practices.

The CEATY project, an Erasmus+ initiative dedicated to empowering young people in the fight against climate change, recently hosted two successful “National Clean Energy Ambassador Days” in Bulgaria, reaching over 100 participants and extending its impact beyond the classroom.

The first event, organised by SEA SOFENA, took place on November 25th, 2024, at the “Tsar Simeon Veliki” school in Vidin. Integrated into the school’s after-school program, the event attracted enthusiastic students and teachers eager to learn about clean energy and sustainable practices.

The four-hour program featured a dynamic presentation highlighting the advantages of digital education and the importance of integrating technology into traditional teaching methods. The concept of “Clean Energy Ambassadors” was introduced, emphasizing the role of young people in promoting sustainable practices within their communities.

In the period of 5-7 November 2024, a GA meeting of the LIFE-BECKON project consortium was held in Copenhagen, Denmark. The partners discussed the progress of the project and the upcoming tasks under work packages for the next 6 months.

The representatives of the three pilots from Sofia, Avila and Copenhagen shared interesting facts. The hosts presented an Energy Community, which is under construction and includes social housing on the outskirts of the city. The building renovation includes not only a major refurbishment of the buildings, but also a construction of new, sloping roofs, with modern ventilation systems for recovery that is being installed in the under-roof space, devices for controlling the heat supply to the building, as well as smart devices for controlling the energy coming from the PV panels on the roof.

Ms. Galeva presented the model of an energy community, which is being implemented on the territory of the Sofia Municipality, with the support of the Vitosha Municipality. It will be the first energy community in the capital, with the goal of becoming a model for replication among other district municipalities.