Renewable Energy Communities in Italy: What They Are and Where They Are

The renewable energy communities in Italy are a reality yet to be discovered. In fact, there are places in our country where it is already possible to share the green and clean energy that is produced. This is the intervention of enlightened municipal administrations, of entrepreneurs willing and confident in change, of cities that have decided, even before waiting for the legislator to move, to begin to create the first steps for the much-needed, as well as desired, ecological transition.

In Italy, in fact, the implementing decree regarding the methods of incentive for shared energy for energy communities and collective self-consumption configurations. Methods already regulated through Decree 199/2021, which dates back to November 8, 2021. It took some time (exactly one year and seven months), but in the end these rules became reality, also following the subsequent approval by the MASE of the Operating rules for access to the service for widespread self-consumption and to the PNRR contribution.

In Italy, despite the unjustifiable delay of the legislator, which are the renewable energy communities already operational and active or in the process of completion?

Renewable Energy Communities in Italy, What Are They?

The Energy Communityalready foreseen by the European Directive RED II (2018/2001/EU)are nothing more than a union of citizens, commercial activities, small or medium-sized enterprises, local public administrations that decide to join together to produce, share and consume energy created from renewable sources on a local scale. Energy communities do nothing more than create a network, in which all the main actors play an active and conscious role, to promote green energy management, within a framework of sharing it.

In practice, they divide the costs of installing photovoltaic panels, solar panels, wind turbines or other to produce clean energy together. Energy that is then shared among everyone, also ensuring a reduction in energy waste. The production of these communities, based on studies that are carried out before installing the chosen system, allows to cover the energy needs of the community itself, both for what concerns daily life and for what concerns business activities.

Renewable Energy Communities in Italy, How Many Are There?

According to what was reported by Legambiente, which refers to the GSE data (which however arrive at the end of 2022), there are 154 forms of shared energy created in our country, between renewable energy communities and collective self-consumption configurations. Not a few, since the implementing law has only arrived now.

The first to be created in Italy on the initiative of Legambiente is the energy community of St. John a Teduccioin the province of Naples. The energy produced is shared by 40 families. There is also the solidarity energy community of Critaro of Saint Nicholas of Crissa (Vibo Valentia), promoted by the municipal administration. Both were developed by 3E Environment-Energy-Economy, with SMA technology. A third plant built by the same companies is about to be started up in Baranzate, in the province of Milan.

Lombardy boasts the first Alpine CER and the first managed entirely by a digital platform, inaugurated last year in Turano Lodigiano. Piedmont, on the other hand, boasts a CER in its capital, created by the Consorzio Pinerolo Energia together with the Polytechnic of Turin, and also the first lake CER, on Lake Orta. In Veneto there is a CER “Energia Agricola a km 0”, created thanks to the collaboration of Coldiretti Veneto with the company ForGreen. While in Emilia Romagna we find the first “collective” CER, in Imola.

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