It was the missing piece. Especially at a time when the growth of renewables in Italy — solar photovoltaic in primis — had been experiencing a sharp slowdown. With the conversion into law of the Milleproroghe decree, the green light was given to the formation of so-called renewable energy communities, meaning the possibility for citizens, associations and commercial businesses to install plants for the production of energy from renewable sources and to self-consume it.

Energy communities: the regulatory framework

"Energy communities stem from the Red II directive (2018/2001/EU) and are a tool for sharing energy among citizens," Emilio Sani, board member of the association Italia Solare, explains to LifeGate. "It is a concept that has both social and technical dimensions. At the social level, energy communities can generate development and cohesion at a local scale. The technical benefits, meanwhile, arise from the fact that when people produce and consume their own energy locally, they are encouraged to be virtuous in their consumption habits."

Until now the most significant examples in Europe have been found in Denmark and Germany, while in Italy the first energy communities are only now beginning to be tested, pending a ruling from Arera and an implementing decree from the Mise.

The definition of renewable energy communities

The definition of energy communities requires that renewable energy plants with a total capacity of less than 200 kW be installed, and that the energy produced be consumed "on site" or stored in storage systems. The plant must be connected to the low-voltage electricity grid, via the same medium/low-voltage transformer substation from which the energy community also draws its grid energy.

"The low-voltage line to which the production plant is connected defines the geographic area of the community," Sani explains. "This applies to small plants and technically targets installations on apartment buildings and commercial premises." The benefits will be twofold: on one hand it will be possible to take advantage of the tax deduction, and on the other there will be an incentive on the energy fed into the electricity grid, which will be defined by the Energy Services Manager (Gse). "In this case there is also a component of physical savings on system charges, which are returned to the community."

edoardo zanchini @EZanchini

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Sbloccare le comunità energetiche non rientra nelle 120 schede di #colao o nelle proposte del #RecoveryPlan di cui sta discutendo il Governo. @Legambiente chiede di recepire subito la Direttiva europea per sbloccare investimenti che creano sviluppo locale

♥ 43💬 3 18 giu 2020 · Apri su X →

The first step is to identify the low-voltage grid to which you are connected, and to find the physical space in which to install the plant — which can range from the roof of an apartment building to a car park or a derelict area to be reclaimed. "At that point the citizen can prepare the statute of what will become the community, in the form of an association or cooperative, which must in any case remain open to new members," Sani continues. "Then comes the gathering of memberships from citizens within the identified area, and finding the party who will install the plant with the tax deduction."

According to Legambiente, which together with Italia Solare has pushed hard for this small energy revolution, the growth of renewable energy in Italy continues to be too slow: an annual average of just 459 MW of solar and 390 MW of wind installed from 2015 to today. "At this rate," the association writes, "the targets set for 2030 by the National Energy and Climate Plan (Pniec) would be reached 20 years late."

Indeed, 2019 saw a growth of only 272 MW in solar compared to the previous year, and 112 MW less in wind. Solar photovoltaic and wind power respectively met 7.6 per cent and 6.2 per cent of national electricity consumption in 2019. Still far too little.

The transitional phase

In practice, "prosumers" are now legally recognised and it will be possible to produce, exchange and consume one's own energy — something that until recently was prohibited. "This is a potential revolution because it can break the dependency relationship with large energy producers," explains Dario Tamburrano, former MEP. "The concept of prosumers is the fulcrum of the energy transition, and it also has a social value: producing and exchanging energy has a social worth that can breathe new life into entire small communities."

"The implementing measures from Arera and the Mise are ready, and we are actively in dialogue to get energy communities up and running," explains Gianni Girotto, president of the permanent Senate Industry Committee, speaking at Ecofuturo. "Now, combined with the 110 per cent bonus, a great many of them could come into being." For this reason, the approval of the European directive could finally fill the legislative void that was effectively blocking the development of renewable sources in apartment buildings, industrial districts and agricultural areas. And create small communities capable of self-producing their energy — strictly from renewable sources.