The citizen at the center of a new energy model
Which ones are they the benefits of renewable energy communities? Now that the regulatory framework is complete, the question can find a more detailed answer, opening the doors to a new bottom-up energy transition process. A process that can also count in Italy on the commitment of MET Energia Italia, the Italian branch of MET Group, a multinational energy company based in Switzerland and active in the natural gas and renewables markets. The company has decided to capitalize on its experience in the field of “green assets” and its ever-growing customer portfolio to help local communities be part of a new energy model. A more decentralized, inclusive and sustainable model.
“We are aiming for initiatives that place the citizen at the center of an efficient and effective model based on the production of energy from renewable sources, guiding users towards virtuous consumption habits”explains Vito CarrieroEnergy Efficiency Solutions Manager at MET Energy Italy. On the other hand, sustainability has long been the stylistic feature that distinguishes the relationship between the company and its customers, thanks to a completely decarbonised energy offer in the retail sector. Attention to new configurations of widespread self-consumption it therefore appears as a natural evolution. “The world of energy services for citizens is evolving evolving drastically and that of Energy Communities is a clear example. In the B2C sector we are in a period of transition from what for a long time was a small individual production of energy to what will be a concentrated production for widespread consumption in the respective areas of relevance”.
CER, regulatory evolution
MET Energia Italia’s commitment today fits into a national framework in full change. In Italy the first experiences of Renewable Communities were born at the beginning of 2000. Small experiments supported only by ecological awareness, without any dedicated incentive or regulatory framework. With clear structural limits and the complete impossibility of selling the renewable energy generated to the electricity market. In 2016 the European Commission decided to change the cards on the table and in the now famous “Clean energy for all Europeans” package formally recognized the role of citizens in the energy transition. Not only. It introduced for the first time configurations with which “self-consumers of renewable energy” can participate in the energy market.
The process of transforming Brussels’ proposals into legal acts and then introducing them into the various national systems was long. In Italy the process ended on 24 January 2024 with the entry into force of the CACER decreecontaining the new incentive methods for Renewable Energy Communities and Widespread Self-Consumption, which were shortly followed by the operating rules of the GSE and the opening of the dedicated portals.
The benefits of renewable energy communities
And today it is finally possible to fully enjoy the benefits of CERs. Starting from the ability of these configurations to bring new value to the territory. Renewable energy communities help to “team up” at a local level, sharing energy and reducing supply costs. They contribute to the reduction of climate-changing emissions and energy security. They allow us to optimize the use of available surfaces and establish a new culture of sustainability. And if all these elements were not already sufficient, it is worth remembering that thanks to the CACER Decree the configurations admitted to the self-consumption service can benefit from ad hoc contributions.
In fact, among the benefits of renewable energy communities it is impossible not to mention premium rate bestowed on shared energy. The incentive – consisting of a fixed and a variable part – is recognized by the GSE for a period of 20 years starting from the date of entry into operation of each CER renewable plant. The value changes depending on the size of the system and the market price of energy: the greater the installed power, the lower the fixed part (and vice versa); the higher the market price of electricity, the lower the variable part will be (and vice versa).
Added to this is the ARERA contribution for the valorisation of self-consumed electricity and, if requested, the GSE fee for electricity withdrawal. In other words, as Carriero points out, “Energy Communities value collaboration between people and offer services and opportunities for the territory, not only in terms of environmental sustainability, but also on an economic and social level”.
However, to fully reap the benefits of CER it is necessary to be able to rely on organizations that not only know the energy and renewables market specifically well, but that have a strong sensitivity to the social side. Realities like MET Group which through MET Energia Italia are actively working to promote innovative, green and tailor-made energy solutions for end users.
MET Energia Italia’s commitment to renewable energy communities
In the company’s plans there is the establishment of an ESCo (Energy Service Company) with which to primarily improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact in various industrial and commercial sectors and then implement photovoltaic projects for CERs. “We are investing and building photovoltaic systems that will be available to our customers and in general to the group of consumers who decide to join the Energy Community”, adds the manager. “The goal is to work on the scale factor at the end optimize investments and generate savings which will be distributed or deducted directly from the bill”.
The purpose, explains Carriero, is to enhance industrial and commercial roofs generating direct savings for those hosting the plant but also for the neighboring community. “We believe a lot in the concept of energy optimization and efficiency, but above all we believe a lot in the concept of sharing resources and skills in order to generate added value for the energy community and not only that, but for all those who want to be part of it. We are leading the way, with our skills and without asking for financial contributions from those who are joining our initiatives”.
The company intends to carry out an energy transition that leaves no one behind, promoting energy models that are not only innovative, efficient and eco-sustainable, but also democratic and inclusive. This is why it is not surprising to know that MET Group, through MET Energia Italia and the group’s business unit dedicated to renewable energy, MET Green Assets, has recently promoted a competition dedicated to Renewable and Solidarity Energy Communities. The event, organized together with Legambiente, offered 5 cash prizes and free consultancy from the group in favor of the best experiences in the field of CER and collective self-consumption, which have incorporated aspects of social protection and solidarity into the project. Winners will be announced on May 28.
