ACET-Estonian Islands Community Energy Partnership
The ACET-Estonian Islands Community Energy Partnership is a collaboration between ACET and the Estonian Islands Energy Agency (EISEA) to co-design and deliver applied clean energy research projects that benefit communities in Canada, on Estonian islands, and within Europe.
Together, ACET and EISEA will combine research expertise and on-the-ground experience to test innovative solutions, build local capacity, and create replicable models for community-centered clean energy systems.
This partnership will enhance western Estonian island community energy independence, support local economic growth, and increase community engagement and resilience.
Canadians will gain from directly applicable policies, models and best practices for community-based clean energy economies from an advanced industrial democratic nation, while mobilizing Canadian clean energy expertise to benefit like-minded partners overseas.
Projects
In addition to ongoing academic exchanges between the University of Victoria in Canada and universities in Estonia, three priority projects for 2026 that address shared challenges and opportunities have already been established. These include:
1) Biogas and the Circular Economy on Saaremaa
This project looks at how Saaremaa can turn local organic waste into useful energy and products. Researchers are studying biogas systems, biochar, and other bioproducts to understand how these could work with the island’s district heating network. The aim is to show how biogas can help strengthen the local economy and help the region prepare for upcoming EU rules on biogas use.
2) Social Impacts of Renewable Energy on Island Communities
This study explores how large-scale renewable energy projects like wind or solar farms affect people living on islands. It looks at how residents’ values and beliefs shape their views on these projects. The goal is to build tools and models that help governments and developers plan renewable energy projects in ways that are open, fair and aligned with community priorities.
3) Energy Communities and Local Energy Independence on Hiiumaa
This project studies how community-led energy initiatives can make local energy systems stronger and more reliable. Researchers will follow a pilot project on Hiiumaa that links renewable energy production, energy distribution and sustainable transportation. The team will also bring in Canadian lessons from energy cooperatives to support innovation on Estonian islands and produce useful comparisons for both countries.
Additional projects will be announced later in the year.
Objectives
ACET and EISEA have identified three shared objectives:
1) Collaborative research and innovation
Co-developing research projects that address shared challenges and opportunities.
2) Knowledge exchange and capacity building
Enabling collaboration and shared learning through research exchanges, cooperation between partnering universities, and engagement with local communities in Canada and Estonia.
3) Scale up and acceleration
Delivering research that informs local, provincial, national and European Union-level policies while generating practical insights and models for scaling community-based energy transformations in Canada and Estonia.
Partner contributions
Estonian Islands Energy Agency (EISEA)
EISEA will work to provide a locally grounded lens while collaborating with ACET researchers throughout the project. EISEA will act as a facilitator between the research team and Estonian island communities, helping to ensure that engagement is contextually appropriate, culturally sensitive and responsive to local priorities.
Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET)
ACET will contribute world-class academic research expertise that complements local expertise and enables community-based energy transformation in Canada and Estonia. ACET will also provide funding for bilateral international research collaboration.
About EISEA
Established in 2023, EISEA is a socially oriented non-profit operating across six islands in western Estonia: Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Muhu, Vormsi, Ruhnu, and Kihnu.
The agency supports local authorities, communities, and businesses in developing and implementing projects that advance sustainable energy use, renewable energy production, and greenhouse gas reduction.
Its founding members include the rural municipalities of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Muhu, Kihnu, and Vormsi; the entrepreneurs’ associations of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa; the Saare Development Centre; and the Tallinn University of Technology.
EISEA’s work is funded through the EU LIFE Programme, contributions from its founders, and service delivery.