Often insurmountable constraints, "chronic" delays in authorizations. The new indictment comes directly from the architects of the Renewable Energy Communities, already in viewfinder due to the lack of clarity of the regulations, the cumbersomeness of the procedures and the biblical times of the proceduresThe GSE, the public manager of the entire mechanism, promises feedback and is meanwhile launching an online tool to simplify and streamline the information and evaluation processes for citizens who would like to explore joining the CER.
A “control panel” to understand how it works
The Renewable Energy Communities showcase has been available since yesterday on GSE portal. It's about a step-by-step guide This allows individual citizens to check which CERs are already present in their area, who their contact persons are, and whether it is possible to activate the membership mechanism. All this is done through an interactive map that, after simply entering the POD of their electricity user (the meter identifier easily obtained from the bill), allows us to identify not only the CERs accessible to us and already functioning in the area, but also the map of the primary substations on which future CERs accessible to us can be built. In short, a useful insight not only into the present but also into the desirable future of "an innovative model of energy production and sharing," it is emphasized, "capable of generating environmental, economic, and social benefits for the local communities."
The tone used by GSE (Energy Services Manager) executives paints a comforting picture. "As of August 31, there were over 4.800 Renewable Energy Communities with active or pending contracts, with a total plant capacity of approximately 400 MW and over 51 associated connection points," remarks GSE CEO Vinicio Mosé Vigilante. But the comments and analyses of those who build and manage the CERs are not of the same tenor.
The complaints of those who actually create CERs
In many cases the relationships between those who constitute the CER and the Gs are seen as an "insurmountable obstacle" according to analysts of the specialized portal QualEnergy reporting the contents of a long critical note from the president of the Sienaenergie Energy Community, Alessandro Vigni.
“Although the rules provide for an examination of activation requests within three months, the reality – states Vigni – speaks of at least six or eight months of waiting just to receive an initial response”. What about the transfers for the collection of incentives intermediated by the GSE? “They arrive after more than a year accompanied by unreadable raw data which forces the managers to make complex accounting reconstructions in order to distribute the sums pertaining to individual citizens." And what about the obligation, for example, to photograph and send to GSE the photos of every single plate of the photovoltaic system equipment of users who join the CER? "It should be eliminated."
“Ridiculous obligations, chronic delays” which mark a marked asymmetry with Europe, where CERs can directly trade energy on the market without having to submit to the cumbersome forced intermediation of state bodies and large network operators” states Vigni with an objectively valid thesis controversial, which openly clashes with the belief of many analysts regarding the need for a third-party body to act as both manager and guarantor of the flows and remuneration of distributed energy.
After two demonstrations organised last spring in front of the offices of the GSE and the Ministry of the Environment (the MASE is directly competent on the matter together with the Ministry of the Economy) the demonstrations are being held meetings between the parties to verify any further regulatory changes and other initiatives that could be implemented to speed up the establishment and proper functioning of Energy Communities.
