Newsletter #4 | May 2026

Welcome to the fourth edition of the CRETE VALLEY newsletter!

The journey toward building a Renewable Energy Valley in Crete continues to advance through concrete achievements across implementation, community engagement, research, and dissemination. 

Over the past months, the project has progressed on the ground with key milestones such as the installation of the first electricity‑generating windmill, ongoing developments within the Community Energy Labs, and active involvement of local communities in shaping solutions such as district heating networks.

At the same time, efforts to make the project’s technological ecosystem more accessible have led to the launch of a dedicated “Technological Solutions” webpage, showcasing the digital tools supporting the design and operation of Renewable Energy Valleys.

Alongside these activities, CRETE VALLEY continues to translate research into practical outputs, including new guidance on fostering citizen participation in renewable energy projects.

We also gaining broader visibility through international media coverage, highlighting our role within the wider European energy transition, while ongoing research work is further strengthened through the release of new deliverables covering planning tools, impact assessment, and data sharing.

In this edition, you will also discover upcoming opportunities to engage with CRETE VALLEY and access the latest scientific publications and project resources.

Stay connected through our LinkedIn page, visit our website and keep following our journey as we continue to turn innovation into real impact!

Prof. Vaggelis Marinakis
Project Coordinator
ICCS

Elissaios Sarmas
Project Manager
ICCS

Over the past months, we continued to advance through coordinated action across partners, communities, and technologies.

One of our major milestones was reached with the successful installation of Windmill1, the first electricity-generating windmill developed within CRETE VALLEY. Installed in March 2026 at the Hellenic Mediterranean University test field in Heraklion, the windmill combines the heritage of the traditional Lasithi Plateau windmills with modern renewable energy technologies.

Inspired by the iconic structures that once shaped the Lasithi Plateau landscape, Windmill1 demonstrates how local knowledge and innovation can work together to create sustainable energy solutions. Testing activities are now underway and will inform the deployment of additional windmills in the Lasithi Community Energy Lab.

At the same time, significant developments have taken place within the Community Energy Labs (CELs). In Arkalochori, local engagement activities have actively involved residents in shaping the future district heating network, confirming strong interest and participation.

At the technological level, to enhance visibility and accessibility of our tools, we recently launched a new “Technological Solutions” section on our website. The new page presents CRETE VALLEY integrated ecosystem of tools supporting the development and operation of Renewable Energy Valleys, including the REV Planner, the Digital Twin, and citizen-focused applications such as the AR/VR App and the Home Energy Autonomy App. Together, these solutions support planning, monitoring, citizen engagement, and informed decision-making across the energy transition journey.

These progresses highlight a coherent advancement from planning and coordination to real‑life implementation, community engagement, and increased visibility and accessibility of CRETE VALLEY technological innovation.

CRETE VALLEY continues to translate research into practical and accessible knowledge. 

The newly released info pack, “Incentives for Citizens’ Participation in Renewable Energy Projects”, provides guidance on how to foster engagement, acceptance, and long‑term involvement in energy communities. Moving beyond purely financial aspects, the publication explores a wide range of incentive mechanisms, from economic benefits to participatory approaches, offering concrete recommendations for policymakers, local authorities, and practitioners.

CRETE VALLEY was recently featured in a journalistic article, “From energy outposts to green pioneers: Europe’s islands show the way”, exploring how Europe’s islands are becoming pioneers of the clean energy transition.

The article highlights how territories like Crete are transforming renewable resources into citizen‑led energy systems, positioning islands as real‑life laboratories for innovation. In this context, CRETE VALLEY is presented as a key example of how integrated technological solutions, community engagement, and policy frameworks can come together to shape the future of Renewable Energy Valleys.

Scientific papers:

• Scientific publication: Transfer learning techniques on temporal fusion transformers for short-term building load forecasting under limited data conditions
• Scientific publication: The Evolution of Windmill Design: From Lasithi Plateau Pumping Windmills to Electricity Production
• Conference proceeding: Deployment of Modular Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Storage Schemes in a Renewable Energy Valley
• Scientific publication: Application of Measure–Correlate–Predict (MCP) Methodology for Long-Term Evaluation of Wind Potential and Energy Production

Deliverables:

• D5.2 - Crete REV-Lab documentation (1st version)
• D6.1 - CRETE VALLEY impact & social acceptance analysis (pre-pilot phase)
• D2.2 - Interactive Decision support tools for REV planning (second version)
• D3.2 - Energy Data Space compliant tools for  sovereign data sharing, and extended  interoperability in REVs (2nd technology  release)