The start of the first energy communities in Italy

“Pending the complete transposition of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 […] it is allowed to activate collective self-consumption from renewable sources, or to create renewable energy communities […]”. Thus reads an amendment to the Milleproroghe Decree, currently being examined by the Chamber, which could give way to the birth of the first energy communities in Italy. The proposal, presented by the President of the Industry Commission Gianni Girotto, is supported by the government and provides for an initial experimental phase reserved exclusively for plants up to 200 kW which will begin after the Milleproroghe Decree is converted into law and will end after the complete transposition of the directive. 2018/2001 when the energy communities will come out of the experimental stage and will be a fully-fledged reality in the energy sector. According to the provisions of the amendment, the end customers of the same condominium or energy communities will be able to associate with each other, through a contract, to become self-consumers of renewable energy produced by their own plants. In this way the “prosumers” will consume less energy generated by distant and large power plants and more by small local generators from renewable sources, reducing the weight of the energy bill. As reported by Il Sole 24 Ore, the participants in the community will share the energy produced using the existing distribution network. Energy will be shared for instant self-consumption, but the use of storage systems will also be rewarded. Therefore, by starting the process of transposing the EU directive, Italy is preparing to experiment with the first models of renewable energy communities: a challenge that our country is already ready to take up thanks to the Regalgrid® platform.