Renewable Energy Communities are an initiative that has become increasingly relevant in the field of energy and sustainability. They consist of groups of individuals, households, businesses or organisations that come together to jointly generate, share and manage renewable energy.

CHARACTERISTICS AND BENEFITS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY COMMUNITIES

The main purpose of energy communities is to provide environmental, economic and social benefits to their members and the environment in which they operate.

Energy communities are divided into two legal forms:

  • Renewable energy communities: composed of natural or legal persons who associate to develop renewable energy projects, with the aim of obtaining economic, environmental or social benefits.
  • Citizen energy communities: made up of individuals who join together to produce, consume and manage their own renewable energy.

Although both models have many points in common, in the case of renewable energy communities, the partners or members must be located in the vicinity of renewable installations.

Benefits of energy communities

RECs offer a number of significant benefits, both locally and globally. Some of these include the following:

  • They generate clean energy from renewable sources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Members of a REC can reduce their electricity bills by generating and consuming their own energy.
  • By having local generation and in some cases energy storage systems, renewable energy communities are more resilient to disruptions in the conventional electricity grid.
  • The implementation and maintenance of renewable energy projects in RECs can generate local jobs in installation, operation and maintenance.

The proliferation of RECs and renewable energy projects varies over time and is influenced by various factors, including changes in regulation, local investment and environmental awareness.

Ultimately, the success of Renewable Energy Communities depends on the active collaboration of their members, adequate infrastructure and the local regulatory framework.