The SOLUTION project mobilises public / private resources to build showcases of energy self sufficient communities in Austria, Croatia, Finland and Switzerland (together with the associated Slovenian community) with a strong potential for replication throughout Europe. SOLUTION is designed to respond to the needs of an effective take-off of the European SET-plan by demonstrating novel applications of different energy technologies and techniques integrated in an intelligent way within model areas. Although the individual demonstration projects are independent from each other, being designed to fulfil local energy needs and using local resources, there are many similarities between them. The implementation plan is a mix of local and integrating activities, such as 1)sharing latest research results especially of electricity storage, customer behaviour and intelligent RES integration, 2)demonstrating appropriate energy solutions in order to reach self-sufficiency, 3)establishing adequate business environment favourable for CONCERTO demonstrations, 4)serving as benchmark for sustainable communities and spreading best-practice, 5)developing a transparent SOLUTION model for immediate replication. By deploying an interdisciplinary approach, an innovative / cost-efficient mix of actions, a set of sustainability oriented solutions will be pointed out and transferred to and among the identified target groups of SOLUTION. The outcomes and related benefits will be fully exploited by an effective range of actions generating local activities with high visibility character together with the major stakeholders. Thus the members of the consortium will act as forerunners towards the low carbon future. The consortium composition is a balanced mix of representative model areas ready for demonstration and of 17 communal, industrial and scientific European partners (incl. 6 SMEs) with a wide geographical spread, complementary resources and expertise.