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Collective self-consumption and energy communities: Trends and challenges in the transposition of the EU framework
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The main aim of this paper is to understand, compare, and assess the emerging regulatory concepts of collective self-consumption and energy communities in EU member states and Switzerland and to provide an overview of issues arising during transposition. Besides a status quo on national level, we discuss major developments in the transposition process that can be observed. This includes in particular concepts related to geographical, administrative, or system-related (e.g. electricity grid level) boundaries, specific grid tariffs for collective self-consumption and renewable energy communities, as well as questions of membership and governance in both types of energy communities.
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... In the up-to-date scientific literature, different case studies and reports on existing Renewable Energy Communities in Europe [16][17][18][25][26][27][28] are proposed. Solar technologies are substantially used in the existing RDEC. ...
The current momentum towards a globally recognised need for an environmentally sustainable, reliable, and decentralised energy community is prompting the scientific community to explore innovative layouts for multi-energy systems designed for high decarbonisation. The intricacy of highly integrated systems lies in the strategic selection of optimal capacities for components and determining the requirements for electricity, cooling, and heating. Unlike traditional fossil-based centralised distribution, which remains unaffected by renewable intermittencies, decentralised energy communities striving for high decarbonization must address the variability of renewables and end-user demands, both in the short and long term. To tackle this challenge, the scientific community is actively incorporating various energy storage technologies into energy communities. However, selecting the most suitable technology and determining the optimal capacity necessitates advanced optimization tools capable of simulating years of system operations. This simulation should include stochastic factors affecting prices, costs, and compliance with carbon taxes and regulations and consider the variability of the end-user load demands. Especially looking at this aspect, the authors have proposed a designing (Master-Planning) procedure based on the well-established commercial software EnergyPlan to properly define the Distributed Energy Community configuration, both on the demand and supply sides. In this paper, the authors showcase a real application in the Mediterranean Tropic region, conducting a sensitivity analysis on the impact of environmental policies and installed components on the overall system design. The results show different trends in self-consumption and self-sufficiency, highlighting how a more advanced system configuration, equipped with Heat Pumps & Energy Storage fed by green electrons, allows for up 5 months (summer period) of 100% Self-Sufficiency and consequent low-in order of 20-25% Self-Consumption for the same period. More details on the load demands, nominal system capacity and CO2 reduction potential are described in the result section, presenting up to 25% CO2 emission reduction when 100 % heat pumps are introduced.
... Energy communities have emerged as a pivotal mechanism in this transformation. These communities consist of entities capable of self-producing energy through facilities located close to the place of consumption, thereby eliminating the need for colocation within the same building (Frieden et al. 2020). Recognizing their potential, Europe has prioritized energy communities within its policy framework (Lowitzsch et al. 2020) as a means of advancing critical Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as SDGs 7, 11, and 13 (Wuebben et al. 2020). ...
Sustainable challenges have become a priority for governments and businesses seeking to advance the decarbonization process. Within national energy strategies, renewable energy communities (RECs) are emerging as a key mechanism for achieving not only environmental and economic goals—supported by incentive policies—but also social goals, as they actively engage citizens, businesses, and utility companies. The present study focused on the role played by citizens by conducting a social analysis based on an online survey across Italy, examining sustainable behaviors, habits, perceptions, and the economic dynamics of potential prosumers. The results showed that there is widespread concern about climate change; yet, this concern is not accompanied by an adequate level of information. In addition, respondents exhibited a preference for protective regulatory frameworks over full liberalization of the energy sector. Awareness of RECs remains limited, with only two‐thirds of the sample familiar with the concept. However, prior knowledge correlated with a greater inclination to participate in such communities. Economic factors (including sale prices, purchase prices, and exchange prices) played a crucial role in shaping respondents' willingness to engage with RECs, as they sought equilibrium among these financial elements. Ultimately, the economic component appears fundamental to the social acceptance of prosumerism, positioning RECs as a viable pathway toward sustainable development.
... One of the main aims of the RECs is to fight Energy Poverty [5] that in 2021 still affected nearly 30 million people in the EU [6]. Several investigations were carried out to model the different REC structures, to collect study cases and simulations [7] and to identify the main barriers that prevent the widespread adoption of the model [8]. While the European countries are adopting the model of RECs [9], in Italy, the recent regulations [10] incentivized the creation of these new entities and are opening new perspectives on this field. ...
Renewable Energy Communities are novel virtuous models that aim to increase the penetration of renewable production technologies and ensure, at the same time, sustainable social and economic development. The recent European policy framework defined the Renewable Energy Communities as new actors in the electricity market and as entities sharing common goals in terms of sustainability. This paper investigates a case study based on a small mountain municipality in southern Italy. Results showed that the self-consumption and the benefit deriving from the incentivization of the shared energy generate the most relevant incomes. Then, two different strategies for the maximization of these two terms were proposed. Furthermore, the capacity expansion of the photovoltaic generation system was investigated, to align the local municipal policies to the goals of the Italian National Energy and Climate Plan.
... The European Union (EU) has established a legal framework for citizens to collectively organize and engage in the energy system through energy communities (ECs) [4] and is promoting their establishment to empower citizens to become an active part of the energy system. People can participate in ECs in various ways such as collective purchase and ownership of solar panels, demand-side activities such as energy efficiency and savings, home retrofitting, energy awareness measures, or e-mobility sharing to name a few. ...
For an equitable transition towards a decentralized and clean energy future, the involvement and active participation of citizens is needed, exemplified by new organizational forms such as Energy Communities (ECs). While determinants of citizen engagement in renewable energy projects have received some attention in the literature, research mostly focuses on continental Europe, with limited understanding of the perceptions and motivations of citizens living in the Global South or in contexts of poverty and marginalization. Using novel survey data (n = 392) and insights from 16 key informant interviews from the French overseas territory Mayotte, we investigate citizens' perception of renewable energies and ECs and their willingness to participate in such initiatives, confirming high support of the local population for a community-based energy transition. Through exploratory factor analysis and subsequent multivariate regressions, we identify the factors Environmental Awareness, Access to Services and Social Inclusion as important determinants of citizen engagement, with Environmental Awareness exhibiting particularly strong and robust effects on both general support and the willingness to actively participate in an EC. Establishing the housing situation of respondents as a proxy for socioeconomic status (SES), we find positive effects of SES on EC support, which is mediated by the identified factors and thereby represents a fourth, underlying determinant of support. Our research underscores the vital importance of considering the multifaceted, diverse perceptions and motivations of the local population to achieve the vision of an equitable transition. Inclusion of needs and priorities of various socioeconomic groups, particularly the most vulnerable community members, is essential.
Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) are a promising approach to urban energy transformation, aiming to optimize local energy systems and deliver environmental, social and economic benefits. However, their effectiveness and justification for investment rely on understanding the additional value they provide (additionality) in comparison to current policies and planning methods. The additionality perspective is not used yet in current evaluations of PED demonstrations and pilots. Therefore, this paper introduces the concept of additionality in the evaluation of PEDs, focusing on the additional benefits they bring and the circumstances under which they are most effective. We discuss the additionality of PEDs in addressing the challenges of climate neutrality and energy system transformation in three European cities that are funded by the European Commission’s H2020 Programme. It should be noted that given the ongoing status of these projects, the assessment is mainly based on preliminary results, as monitoring is still ongoing and quantitative results are not yet available. The paper discusses the drivers and barriers specific to PEDs, and highlights the challenges posed by technical complexities, financing aspects and social and legal restrictions. Conclusions are drawn regarding the concept of additionality and its implications for the wider development of PEDs as a response to the challenges of climate neutrality and energy system transformation in cities. We conclude that the additionality perspective provides valuable insights into the impact and potential of PEDs for societal goals and recommend this approach for use in the final evaluation of R&I projects involving PEDs using actual monitored data on PEDs.
Background Energy communities facilitate several advantages, including energy autonomy, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, poverty mitigation, and regional economic development. They also empower citizens with decision-making and co-ownership prospects in community renewable projects. Integrating renewable energy sources and sector coupling is a crucial strategy for flexible energy systems. However, demonstrating clean energy transition scenarios in these communities presents challenges, including technology integration, flexibility activation, load reduction, grid resilience, and business case development. Methods Based on the system of systems approach, this paper introduces a 4-step funnel approach and a 4-step reverse funnel approach to systematically specify and detail demonstration scenarios for energy community projects. The funnel approach involves four steps. First, it selects demonstration scenarios promoting energy-efficient state-of-the-art renewable technologies and storage systems, flexibility through demand side management techniques, reduced grid dependence, and economic viability. Second, it lists all existing and planned project technologies, analysing energy flows. Third, it plans actions at different levels to implement the demonstration scenarios. Fourth, it validates the strategies using key performance indicators (KPI) to quantify the effectiveness of the planned measures. Furthermore, the reverse funnel approach delves deeper into the demonstration scenarios. The four steps involve identifying stakeholder perspectives, describing scenario scopes, listing conditions for realisation, and outlining business models, including value chains and economic assumptions. Results This approach provides a detailed analysis of the demonstration scenarios, considering actors, objectives, boundary conditions, and business assumptions. The methodologies are exemplified in three diverse European energy communities extending across residential, commercial, tertiary, and industrial establishments, allowing power-to-x and sector coupling opportunities. The paper also suggested thirteen KPIs for validating renewable-focused energy community projects. Conclusions Finally, the paper recommends increased collaboration between energy communities, knowledge sharing, stakeholder engagement, transparent data collection and analysis, continuous feedback, and method improvement to mitigate policy, technology, business, and market uncertainties.
The evolution of decentralised energy systems, the rise of prosumers and the formation of energy communities (ECs) demand innovative approaches to assess and optimise value creation within these ecosystems. A significant gap exists regarding a unified approach and methods to identify, model, quantify and compare the multifaceted values in the social, economic, technical, and environmental context that ECs contribute to the broader energy system. This research bridges the gap in understanding the associations and value creation within ECs by developing a framework and methodology to understand and analyse the value creation within ECs and focusing on evolving end-user or prosumer involvement and interactions among diverse stakeholders. The research proposes a strategy to evaluate the various values produced by EC based on the action-oriented perspective of developing actors. By focusing on the evolving actions of end-users through different levels of use cases developed in this research, the stakeholders' motivations can be aligned with their activities. By doing so, the value formed within ECs can be explained, and a structured approach to quantifying these values can be established. This action-oriented approach and developed framework provide insights into holistic value creation and serve as a tool for identifying, quantifying, and comparing the values associated with ECs, which incorporate a range of key performance indicators (KPIs) to be developed to facilitate this analysis. The significance of the research extends beyond the theoretical realm, serving as a blueprint or guide for stakeholders to enhance value-creation strategies, guide policy development, and foster sustainable growth in ECs. By applying the developed framework and methodology, stakeholders can model and gain a holistic and deeper understanding of the multidisciplinary dimensions of the energy transition, identify synergies, and identify conflicts to boost collective benefits. Through this approach, a deeper understanding of the energy transitions through ECs in a multidisciplinary context can be gained, and a roadmap can be created.
In the past years, Dutch citizens have experimented with various kinds of innovations to organize the collective production of renewable energy, including shared wind power and solar PV installations. Most of these attempts failed mainly due to legal issues and tax rules. Yet, one model for solar PV on collective roofs was implemented more widely, namely the postcode rose (PCR, postcoderoos): a form of cooperative solar PV production within a set of adjacent postcode areas. Set within a broader transition perspective, this article studies the emergence and evolution of the PCR as an example of a successful social innovation in the energy transition, through an innovation biography and mapping of the evolution of the social and institutional network around the innovation. The various attempts for collective solar PV, with different degrees of success and uptake into the regime, present a key aspect of niche development, namely associational work (circulation and mobilization) focused on regime change. In conclusion, the innovation path of the PCR emphasizes the importance of the political and associational in the energy transition and in transition thinking.
Basic self-consumption has many limitations as the
amount of investment is significantly lower than it could be if
more members would have joined a sort of group or community.
The same goes for the physical parameters of an energygenerating
unit in a RES power plant. The bigger the PV power
plant the bigger amount of generated electrical energy with just a
small impact on the investment amount. Apartment blocks have
larger roofs to accommodate larger units and enough
members/users that are able and interested to contribute to a
better environment and to lower their electricity bill. Technology
also allows for a sufficient amount of storage of electrical energy
and can contribute to secure supply of larger remote groups of
buildings in harsh climate conditions. With proper regulatory
frameworks in place, the final consumers can form energy
communities as one way to participate in collective selfconsumption
activities. The aim of this review is to understand
and compare the emerging regulatory frameworks with those
already in place in EU member states. Some countries already
made significant progress in the transposition process of the EU
framework and thus comply with the provisions of the European
Commissions’ Clean Energy Package. Most countries, however,
are in an early stage of transposition.
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