In Bergamo, sports centre owners have a chance to change how their neighbourhoods use power. By sharing their success stories, these owners act as leaders for "energy regeneration", a way to create and reuse power locally. To spread awareness, a mix of local newspapers and social media posts will be used to show how these business owners are already making the switch. This helps everyone understand the money-saving and environmental perks of green energy.
Sports centres use about 10% of all the energy used in Europe every year (Elnour et al., 2022). This makes an ice skating rink owner the perfect pioneer for renewable energy. By switching to green power, they save money on high electricity bills and help the community at the same time. However, not everyone in Bergamo knows about these energy programs yet because they are still brand new. Right now, only a few owners have the drive to try these new solutions, especially when the rules aren't always clear.
By using a local ice skating rink as a case study, we can see how this change actually works. When the owner makes this switch, they stop being just an energy "buyer" and become an energy "producer." This example proves that solar power is for everyone.
In our discussions with the rink owner, they noted that many other sports centre owners want to join the movement but are held back by basic questions:
How do I start?
Where do the solar panels go?
Who do I call first?
The case study shows that while the process might seem complicated, it is actually getting easier every day. Since the technology is already available in Bergamo, the owner’s experience suggests that the biggest challenge isn't the equipment, but simply taking that first step toward change.
