Facoltà di Ingegneria Civile e Industriale

On May 22nd, 2021, a meeting-conference on Energy Communities was held on the Island of Ventotene with great satisfaction of the Mayor, the Citizens attending and the organizers (engineers, teachers and 30 students of the Grand Challenges Scholars Program of Sapienza University).

To the event participated, respecting the anti-COVID rules, 75 people, 25  of which remotely, making the evening full of requests, concrete answers, scientific content of technical, economic, and social innovation. In this respect, many of those present declared their determined intention to establish the first Energy Community on the island.

Congratulations were expressed to the new graduates, and brilliant students of Engineering and Economics of the "Grand Challenges Field Study Alumni", which have been awarded € 25,000 on May 18 by the Lazio Region, for a project dedicated to the Energy Communities of the call Vitamin G, which on May 22 have been able to welcome professors, prestigious managers, and other young people for three days of work, cognitive energy, social and environmental investigation.

A special thanks goes to the Mayor Gerardo Santomauro, the responsible Aurelio Matrone and other local authorities with the desire to establish as soon as possible the Energy Community on the island.

The event was also preceded on Wednesday 18 by their meeting with the Mayor of Magliano Alpi, when, for the first time, the Energy Community was regularly started.  This has been possible thanks to the support of the “Energy Centre” of the Polytechnic of Turin and the World Energy Council-Italy, which will share best practices with Ventotene as well.

The Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), in Italy, are today the way of diffusion and sharing of Renewable Energy on the territory, with engineering, economic, and social innovations, finally incentivized and facilitated by the law 8/2000, and by the PNRR.

The newly appointed Engineer Gabriele Umberto Magni, president of the constituted "Grand Challenges Field Study Alumni", organized all relations with Ventotene, also received on May 22 the letter of recognition Grand Challenges Scholars Program (GCSP), from the National Academy of Washington, together with colleagues and associates, Matteo Gagliano, Alessia Moresi, Massimo Picalarga, Diana Bulf.

Andrea Micangeli, Professor of Energy Systems at Sapienza University of Rome, responsible for the GCSP for Sapienza, after having delivered the GCSP award, moderated the evening, flanked by Eng. Ugo de Carolis, and together with Dr. Luca Tricarico of Luiss Business School, the young engineer Elisa Fenicchia, counsellor of “Technical Solidarity” non-profit  association , Dr. Lorenzo De Vidovich, an expert on the social relevance of CERs, from the University of Trieste, Dr. Eng. Carlo Tacconelli of Engreen.

The event was opened by engineer Ugo de Carolis with a significant testimony. He first hypothesized the energy community between Rome Airports and surrounding areas, when he was CEO of ADR, after achieving brilliant results of sustainability, in an area "polluting and noisy by definition". As we know, Ugo De Carolis, a brilliant manager with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from La Sapienza University, after having held prestigious positions as Managing Director of New Holland (FIAT group), then of Telepass and Aeroporti di Roma, has obtained international awards for the airport at Fiumicino and Ciampino, and an evolution that is evident to anyone who has been there in recent years...  In short, the "Ronaldo" of Managerial Management, who has dedicated two full days to the Energy Community of Ventotene with the very young colleagues of Sapienza.

This had been followed by the interventions of expert speakers who have illustrated with competence, clarity, and simplicity what CERs are, who the beneficiaries are, and how they are started. Dario Tamburrano, former Euro MP, dedicated to the CERs, Francesca Rizzi of the Naval League of Ventotene, "Cristoforo" the fisherman par excellence, Martina who deals with tourist reception, Alessio Castagna video-reporter of excellence, Gloria Consoli, Coordinator of the Territorial Cooperative Petra. From the City of Antrodoco, the engineers and GC Alumni, Andrea De Silvestri and Valeria Longhi, as well as the Deputy Mayor Prof. Ernestina Cianca, of Engineering Tor Vergata, and many other interventions of support and commentary, dedicated to Ventotene and other realities of Lazio concerned.

On Monday 24th evening these activities have been reported in the GCSP Forum, with more then 50 participants from 20 Countries in US, Africa, and Europe. A great occasion to share the practices and values of the  Grand Challenges Scholars Program among the Directors of EU and US Universities such as Perugia University, Bio Medical Campus University , State University of New York, Delaware Uni, South California University, together with special participation from Indonesian and African Colleagues.

A start-up event, which comes after one year of work with the municipalities, with residents, public and private facilities, accommodation on the island, and in-depth studies with teachers and students Sapienza, accompanied by Eng. Ugo De Carolis, and established professionals. This demonstrates the strong will of everyone to make even more important, welcoming, and valuable, as much Ventotene as our entire Country.