Renewable Energy Communities have all the potential to become the possible solution to the energy crisis we are experiencing and, at the same time, the turning point toward the energy transition.
After understanding what RECs are and the benefits associated with them, it is interesting to understand who can join Renewable Energy Communities and how to do so.
Who can join an REC?
Both individuals and legal entities can become members of an REC.
Therefore, these energy communities are open to eligible individuals such as:
- residents
- SMES
- municipal governments
- local PAs
- local authorities
- religious bodies
- training and research institutions
- Nonprofits and volunteer entities
- associations
Participation is intended to be voluntary. Each participant must be connected via a grid connection point that refers to the same primary substation as the facility at hand.
How to join a Renewable Energy Community?
To create a REC, the first step is to identify the area for the installation of the renewable energy plant and then establish a legal entity with open and voluntary participation representing those who will be members of the community. The plant must not exceed 1 MW and must be directly controlled by the REC, even when given to a third party to operate. The plant must be connected to the power grid through a primary substation, which is the one referred to by all ERC participants.
At this point, in order to join a Renewable Energy Community, one prerequisite is necessary: to be among the eligible entities mentioned above, according to what is the current regulation. In addition, you can apply for membership according to the regulations set by the ERC in which you want to participate.
Each member of the community must install or have installed a meter, called a smart meter, for tracking its self-consumption. This determines how much energy you produce and consume and how much energy you release to the grid.
Why join a Renewable Energy Community?
First, RECs have government incentives for the kilowatt-hours self-consumed by the members themselves, and to access these incentives, the REC must accredit itself to the GSE (Gestore dei Servizi Energetici), which will disburse them monthly to the Community and they will then be shared among all its members.
This leads to a reduction in energy costs, as the more energy self-consumption, the greater the incentives received. In addition, the economic benefits disbursed by the GSE can be freely distributed within each REC, either by sharing them among the members of the REC itself or by investing them in the territory.
Redelfi, through its subsidiary CerLab is active in the establishment and management of Renewable Energy Communities.
To learn more, visit CerLab’s website.
