Clean energy community
Clean energy communities are a new concept, developed as part of the clean energy transition movement, with the aim of decarbonisation of the energy sector. The concept of energy communities is new and therefore does not have one definition. Most generally, we can define them "as associations of actors engaged in energy system transformation for reduced environmental impact, through collective, participatory, and engaging processes and seeking collective outcomes."[1]
Energy communities can exist in several shapes, sizes, and structures. They can take any form of legal entity, for instance that of an association, a cooperative, a partnership, a non-profit organisation or a small/medium-sized enterprise.[2] Most commonly, they are associated with local energy generations, but with prosumerism and energy transition development, new energy communities are starting to develop. Virtual communities and collaboration with for-profit companies are some of the new models of energy communities.
Benefits of Energy Communities
Energy communities bring benefits to their members, local community, society and the environment. They are most often connected to the environmental benefits, with the rise of their existence being closely related to clean energy transition.
Environmental benefits
One of the biggest benefits of energy communities is the phasing out of fossil fuels. Energy communities most commonly generate energy, using renewable energy sources. This both increases the percentage of renewable energy generation in national energy mixes, as well as lessens the fossil-heavy energy use of the community members. Active citizen involvement in the energy transition also leads to higher support for renewables increases overall, meaning the transition can proceed faster.[3]
Additionally, many communities also strive to cut their energy use. A common activity in energy communities is also the promotion of other sustainable practices, such as car sharing, sustainable heating etc.
Energy Communities in the European Union
European Commission describes energy communities in two separate definitions:
Citizen Energy Community – "A legal entity that (a) is based on voluntary and open participation and is effectively controlled by members or shareholders that are natural persons, local authorities, including municipalities, or small enterprises; (b) has for its primary purpose to provide environmental, economic or social community benefits to its members or shareholders or to the local areas where it operates rather than to generate financial profits; and (c) may engage in generation, including from renewable sources, distribution, supply, consumption, aggregation, energy storage, energy efficiency services or charging services for electric vehicles or provide other energy services to its members or shareholders."[4][5]
The second definition focuses more on the environmental benefits of energy communities. The concept is defined as Renewable Energy Communities in the Renewable Energy Directive by the European Commission.
Renewable Energy Community - "A legal entity: (a) which, in accordance with the applicable national law, is based on open and voluntary participation, is autonomous, and is effectively controlled by shareholders or members that are located in the proximity of the renewable energy projects that are owned and developed by that legal entity; (b) the shareholders or members of which are natural persons, SMEs or local authorities, including municipalities; (c) the primary purpose of which is to provide environmental, economic or social community benefits for its shareholders or members or for the local areas where it operates, rather than financial profits."[4][6]
Depending on national regulations and other societal and economic factors, energy communities are more widely spread in some European countries and less in others. The UK is an example of a country with a fast-growing number of community energy projects, as well as The Netherlands. In others, usually Eastern and Central European countries, energy communities are less spread and are in the phase of social innovation.[7]
References
- ↑ Mlinarič, Maša; Barnes, Jacob; Kovač, Nina; Bocken, Nancy (2019-12-31). "NEWCOMERS: Typology of new clean energy communities".
- ↑ "Energy communities". energy.ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
Text was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
- ↑ Community energy: a practical guide to reclaiming power. EU: Friends of the Earth, REScoop, Energy Cities. 2020. pp. 19–28. Search this book on
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Dreyfus, Magali; Suwa, Aki (2022). Local Energy Governance: Opportunities and Challenges for Renewable and Decentralised Energy in France and Japan. New York: Routledge. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-000-54744-3. Search this book on
- ↑ Provisional text adopted by European Parliament legislative resolution of 26 March 2019 on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the common rules for the internal market in electricity (recast) (COM(2016)0864 – C8 – 0495/2016 – 201 – 6/0380(COD)) (Provisional Recast Electricity Directive).
- ↑ Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (recast), OJ L 328, 21.12.2018, p 82 (Recast Renewable Energy Directive).
- ↑ Palm, Jenny; Eitrem Holmgren, Klara (2020-11-30). "NEWCOMERS: Comparison of national polycentric settings in the partner countries".
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