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In the face of a climate crisis, the AURORA project is putting people, particularly students, at the forefront of the energy transition. Using digital tools, community initiatives and experiential learning, it demonstrates how everyday decisions can contribute to global sustainability goals.
Central to this approach is AURORA’s Energy Tracker app. Available for Android and iOS systems, it quantifies users’ carbon emissions from heating, electricity use and transport, while offering personalised guidance. “The Energy Tracker app provides users with an accurate record of the carbon emissions they produce, and presents the results against a carbon labelling scheme,” explains Ana Belén Cristóbal López, project coordinator on behalf of the Technical University of Madrid. Users can track their own emissions, and receive tailored recommendations on how to reduce their energy consumption. They can also see how community investments in renewable energy around them can help offset their carbon footprint.
Real-world impact through community energy
AURORA supported community-owned photovoltaic installations in five countries, such as a large rooftop solar installation at Denmark’s Aarhus University. Student and staff members can invest a small part of their savings in these installations, benefitting from returns at interest rates usually higher than those proposed by the banking sector.
The Energy Tracker app shows users how this renewable energy is offsetting their personal carbon footprint. As Cristóbal López explains, “With AURORA, cooks, cleaners and students can take a stake in the energy transition for little more than the price of a pint of beer, with cheaper energy than that obtained from the energy grid.”
In Madrid, the Colegio Centro Cultural Palomeras is pioneering Spain’s first school-based community renewable energy scheme. With funding from local residents, the Technical University of Madrid and at least one international contributor, installation was completed in the summer of 2025. Meanwhile, Slovenia’s University of Ljubljana and the United Kingdom's Forest of Dean are advancing similar initiatives, overcoming legal and institutional barriers along the way.
Implementing university-based energy communities didn’t come without legal complexities. At Aarhus University, the team spent over two years navigating stakeholder interests and regulatory hurdles. “Full-time support for those putting in place energy communities was essential,” Cristóbal López notes, emphasising that EU funding enabled this programme to succeed.
Lessons from experience and future ambitions
These projects are not just technical feats but social experiments in ownership, empowerment and inclusion. In this regard, AURORA’s focus on students is more than symbolic. “It was important to work with the generation who will be most affected by climate change,” Cristóbal López says. By involving students in tracking and reducing their emissions, the project fosters long-term behavioural change. Early evidence shows promise, although changing habits will be a gradual process.
Looking ahead, the project is preparing to scale up and share all its outputs across the EU. The team notably set up a new Citizen Science Working Group, supported by the European Climate Pact, which aims to standardise methods and tools for use across Europe and beyond. They are also working to enhance the Energy Tracker app with automated data inputs and regional adaptations. Stakeholders beyond Europe have already shown interest, with ongoing discussions on how the tracker app can be modified for use in India.
AURORA plans to present its model to the whole world at the UN Environment Assembly in 2025. With open science principles and a collaborative ethos, the project envisions citizen science as a key instrument for meeting climate goals. “We are building strong support to encourage people to replicate what we have achieved,” adds Martin Brocklehurst, AURORA partner and chair of the Citizen Science Global Partnership.
Through grassroots action and digital innovation, AURORA exemplifies how EU-funded research can bridge policy and practice, empowering people to act on climate change in meaningful, measurable ways.