Solar Café Europe – What the Neighbours Are Doing
Industrial Heritage Meets the Energy Transition
Solar Café Europa: Shaping Our Energy Future Together – Register Now!
A warm invitation to the kick-off meeting, workshop, and impact session – with inspiring guests from near and far.
On top of that, there will be small cultural highlights and culinary specials.
Solar Café Europe brings together citizens, experts, and local initiatives from the Ruhr region and partner regions across Europe.
Local practitioners will present successful models of community energy projects and explore how they can be adapted for the Ruhr region.
The aim is to jointly develop ideas on how local energy transition and citizen participation can strengthen the region.
One guiding question: Can rooftop solar help replace another gas-fired power plant?
We build trust in technology and public administration – by creating personal connections.
Questions, register:
kontakt@labor519.de,
+49 176 24022904
📅 Programme Overview
| Date & Time | Session Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sat, 29 Nov 2025 10:00–12:00 |
Kick-off 1: Industrial Heritage Meets the Energy Transition | Opening event introducing the project and goals of the Solar Café Europa series. Contributions from the Ruhr region and a European partner area. Focus: local energy transition, citizen participation, and community energy models. Followed by an interactive discussion, short workshop, and informal closing with music and snacks. |
| Sun, 7 Dec 2025 10:00–12:00 |
Kick-off 2: Energy in Motion – Cooperation & Responsibility | Case studies from two European regions with different approaches to community-led energy production. Discussion about cooperation between citizens, municipalities, and enterprises. Includes a short scientific input on industrial transformation processes. Concludes with open conversation and a light lunch. |
| Sun, 7 Dec 2025 13:00–15:00 |
Lamp-Building Family Workshop | Practical hands-on workshop for families. Participants build small solar lamps while learning basic principles of photovoltaics and energy storage. Includes informal exchange and open Q&A on everyday energy-transition topics. |
| Sat, 13 Dec 2025 10:00–12:00 |
Impact & Learnings: Ideas for Essen | Summary and reflection on insights from earlier sessions. Joint discussion of transferable community-energy models and next steps for the Ruhr area. Interactive co-creation lab where participants develop project ideas for Essen. Presentation of results, voting, and outlook for 2026. |
📍 Venue
REALFOODSPACE Essen – home of Labor 519 e. V.
Mathildenstr. 23, 45130 Essen
(Parking available on request)
👥 Who we are / Team Solar Café Europe
- Hannah Müller – Researcher “Energy Communing”, FernUniversität Hagen
- Daniela Petry – Initiator, Solar Café Europa
- Norbert Ross – PV Consultant, Heisingen Klimaneutral a.o.
- Team Solar-Café & invited guests
👥 Participants
Essen / Ruhr Region (invited)
European Partner Regions (invited)
Partners from European regions with industrial heritage / brownfields: Sussex, Piedmont, etc.
🗣️ Format
Hybrid event (on-site + online). Open to citizens, initiatives, and professionals.
Includes workshops, cultural programme, food & music.
🎯 Objective
“How can energy communing in the Ruhr region replace another gas power plant?”
Exchange of best practices in community energy across Europe, networking, and co-creation
of project ideas for the Ruhr region. Part of an ongoing feasibility study integrating
citizen participation.