On energy communities we are behind. Although they represent a good system of efficiency and control of multiple consumptions, foreseen by laws (in particular by Milleproroghe decree of 2019) with public incentives available, the Italians are still unwilling to implement them. Probably the sense of belonging and of "communion" for a public service still needs some encouragement. It is perhaps what moves the banking world. Tuesday 24 May at 14,30 pm online, the Fondazione Cariplo will present the Alternative tender for the development of renewable energy communities in Lombardy and in the provinces of Novara and Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.
The tender is the first of this type and is aimed at a wide range of subjects: administrations, public and private non-profit bodies . It is the launch of a project that can extend to all of Italy and which is now starting with an initial budget of 1 million euros.
The collaboration between the Foundation and the Lombardy Region
The Foundation has developed a collaboration with the Lombardy Region as part of a Regional Law which has allocated 22 million euros to support the new Communities. In practice, it is a complementary initiative to a broader plan to encourage the implementation and development of energy from renewables on the territory. After evaluating the situation, Cariplo made its funds available because it believes the potential of the communities it is limited by the lack of specialist, technical, administrative, economic-financial skills on the part of the actors who intend to start them. The social value of the announcement explains it John Fosti, president of the Cariplo Foundation: "For us it is crucial to invest in the development of initiatives capable of bringing together the social, economic and environmental dimensions: in this sense, the Renewable Energy Communities favor community aggregation, local economic development and the fight against energy poverty" .
Projects ready by July and relations with the GSE
The projects must be presented by 21 July next so that we can also organize a sTechnical assistance service to proposers. When it comes to collective self-consumption of energy, it is good to start off on the right foot, having a clear understanding of the regulatory and technical framework that ultimately allows the clean energy produced to be put on the network. Over time the brakes on the development of these local partnerships have been more organizational than technical, despite the dear energy of these last months. The systems must be designed well and after having put them into operation, the formally constituted community will see the advantages.
Foreign models are mostly virtuous and profitable. In Italy, the Community can apply for the Energy Services Manager (GSE) to obtain refreshments to be collected from the shared energy law. The relationship with the GSE can also take place through a delegated company that deals with management. Enel, however, clarified that the incentives are not recognized for all the energy produced, but only for that shared within the community, or "that consumed by the members in the same production time slot". These are elements that it is good to know before organizing the structure. It is therefore clear that everyone's convenience is proportional to the composition of the Community which can be particularly advantageous in small towns and in all contexts of energy poverty.
