Inaugurated in 2008 as an open laboratory for sustainability, Loccioni Leaf Community now delivers on its promise and evolves to a Smart Community imagining a co-created future shared between public and private: with the adoption of 2 km of the river Esino starts 2Km of Future.

Partners in developing the project: Enel, Nissan, Samsung SDI and Veneto Banca. In 6 years, new projects and new measures have led this laboratory, an international reference point, to a 55% energetic autonomy and to a total involvement of the territory. It is precisely the adoption of 2 km of the river Esino that has provided the inspiration for the name of 2km di futuro®: a way of reconsidering the role of the company, which continues to generate jobs and wealth, as well as value and opportunities, opening up to the territory, dealing with the natural environment and the person, in synergy with the institutions.

Among the innovative elements:
Flumen: for the first time, 2 km of river are adopted by a private company, in order to secure the safety of the area and to develop of a public-private planning workshop.
Leaf Lab: inspired by the Leaf House experience, an emission-free house, the first connective industrial building in Class A+ was created, able of managing inflows and achieve energy autonomy.
Micro-grid: installation of accumulation systems and development of management systems of electrical and thermal energy flows, make these 2 km one of the first examples of real and operational micro-grid.
Electric Mobility: electric vehicles that communicate with the intelligent network and become, when necessary, accumulations of energy for buildings; the micro grid is enhanced with electric mobility and charging infrastructure.
With the Forum 2km di Futuro, Loccioni Group, Enel, Nissan, Samsung SDI and Veneto Banca, under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Economic Development, World Bank, UN Habitat, Marche Region, Kyoto Club and Legambiente, they wanted to create a new opportunity for sharing and involvement.
The main theme upon which the confrontation between representatives of the business, scientific and institutional world has taken place is the smart-grid, construed as driver of technological, economic and cultural development, as a social commitment on the part of businesses and organizations, for the possibility it offers of reaching equilibrium between man, nature and technology. Representatives of Italian and international companies, Public Administration and scientific community are involved too.
The evolution from the original Leaf Community, with its Leaf House, three industrial buildings, solar park, micro hydropower plant to smart communities, with the integration of the river as a resource, the uniqueness of the Leaf Lab, Enel charging infrastructure, Nissan electric mobility, Samsung SDI energy accumulation systems and Loccioni intelligent management of energy flows, has turned 2 km of territory into a corner of the future. Energy self- sufficient at 55% compared with the initial 22%, with 38% annual autonomy hours compared to the previous 4% and own use of 88%.
Numbers: for these six years, figures speak also for the recruitment of 220 young people, € 13 million of investments made in the territory, 16 involved entities, 64 companies of the territory, plus a few market leaders that have been getting work out of this project and 36,000 visitors. A result that becomes repeatable example of how widespread collaboration, recovery and renewable energy activities, along with the smart grid can actually be a valid feasible path to build a sustainable future. Not only in environmental terms, but also in terms of work and opportunities.
Text by Gabriele Masi.