Over the years, the Primiero and Vanoi Valleys have stood out for their unique environmental and energy profile. These qualities have earned this corner of Trentino numerous awards and recognitions, and selection as a study area in major national and international projects.
Awards and recognition
forefront of the new sustainability revolution
Participation in the European “Communitas” project
Primiero and Vanoi took part in “Communitas”, a European project under which the area hosted an initial workshop in May 2023 and a general assembly of the 18 project partners in June 2024. Primiero is one of eight pilot sites identified across Europe for the analysis and testing of energy and sustainable Community models.
European Solar Prize for the Primiero and Vanoi energy community project
Each year, EUROSOLAR awards the European Solar Prize to international pioneers and exemplary models applying renewable energy in practice. In 2023, in the category “Cities, Municipalities, Districts and Public Utilities”, this prestigious award went to the Primiero and Vanoi Energy Community project for successfully transforming the territory into a more liveable place, resilient to the challenges of climate change.
“Non Sprecare” (Don't Waste) Award to ACSM in the “Institutions” category
ACSM S.p.A., the municipal utility producing clean energy in the Primiero and Vanoi Valleys, received the “Non Sprecare 2022” award for its innovative energy model uniting ten member municipalities in the joint production of renewable energy using local resources. The award ceremony took place on 23 November 2022 in Rome at LUISS Guido Carli University, which organises the contest together with the Rome-based ACEA Group.
Community Energy – ACSM first national pilot case
The Primiero and Vanoi Valleys topped the list of six Italian areas selected for a pilot study designed to provide government bodies with the data and insights needed to develop legislation and roll out innovative energy models nationwide. The inclusion of Primiero and the ACSM Group in the study area conducted by RSE not only confirms the territory’s excellence and experience in the energy sector – which make it a national pioneer – but also represents an important opportunity to further develop and test, at the highest level, new and innovative energy models that could serve as benchmarks in the future energy transition.
European project InnoForEst
The Primiero Valley was chosen as the study area for Italy within the InnoForEst project, to promote the restoration of pastures and meadows and an integrated forest-pasture management system, a possible element for the revitalisation of mountain areas, both in terms of rural development and local tourism.
Multiply project
Legambiente has recognised the Primiero and Vanoi Valleys as one of Europe’s leading regions in the fields of energy and urban development within the European “Multiply” project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program. Alongside Legambiente, six other partners from across Europe – Germany, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Sweden, and the Netherlands – are participating in the project. This initiative promotes the exchange of best practices at European level, connecting exemplary regions like ours with other communities striving to become more climate-friendly.
Primiero awarded in Brussels as a model of virtuous energy
After recognising Primiero and Vanoi as “100% renewable territories”, Legambiente decided to present our area’s candidacy in Brussels at the RES Champions League – a competition between Europe’s leading communities distinguished by sustainability and the use of renewable resources. The Primiero and Vanoi area was thus awarded the special prize as a “model of virtuous energy in the new sustainable revolution”.
Primiero wins Legambiente’s top award for Renewable Municipalities
Legambiente presents Renewable Municipalities, the map of green energy and innovation in Italy’s energy networks. Our eight municipalities were recognised as a symbol of the new distributed-generation scenario for their use of a mix of five different technologies employed to meet the entire thermal and electrical needs of their five municipalities. The Primiero and Vanoi Valleys can in fact rely on two district heating networks (45 km in length) and a publicly owned electricity grid. The municipal company ACSM distributes to consumers the energy produced by hydroelectric plants of various sizes (145 MW) and photovoltaic plants (4 MW) for electricity, and by solar installations (996 m2 of panels) and biomass (22 MW) for heat.
