Understanding Energy Communities and Their Role in Sustainable Energy Transition

We’re all familiar with the threats the planet is facing and the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies is one of the main challenges. Among many options to make the planet greener, being a part of or starting an Energy Community is one way to participate. Large corporations are making their efforts to indicate a change, but what can we do as individuals? Besides making better small choices, being part of these communities is a great way to indicate change.

What is an Energy Community?

Energy Communities are collaborative groups of individuals, social entities, or associations driven by the same goal to transition towards a 100% renewable and sustainable energy model using an inclusive model. The energy generation comes from photovoltaic energy, or any other renewable generation technologies such as wind, hydraulic, biogas, or biomass. The social and environmental benefits are prioritized while these communities are working towards the goal of transforming their neighborhood, town, city, or country towards this inclusive energy model that is collectively owned. Some of these communities are focusing on local transitions, others might expand the development to a regional level. These communities are self-organized and the participants benefit from their savings on their energy bills as a result of changing their energy consumption.

Social Impact and Objectives

Energy Communities are a seed of social change toward a more respectful, sustainable, and democratic society. These communities aim to promote the transformative energy transition and lead the process of decarbonization and denuclearization of the energy system. Other noticeable objectives are to promote new community-owned renewable energy generation plants, energy exchange and management, training and mobilization of citizens, mobility and sustainable air conditioning, and energy efficiency. These steps are leading to an energy and social transition and protecting the environment. Savings are an essential objective of a successful Energy Community, which translates to x amount of the monthly expenses for the members. Besides the financial benefits, the environmental impact comes first for these organizations.

Organizing an Energy Community

There are various ways of creating these communities, depending on the activity, the objectives, and the members. A community can be founded as an association, a cooperation, or any other legal formula that is based on voluntary participation. The members are building their operating system that supports the organization's goals and needs. Individuals, public administrations, small and medium-sized companies, and third-sector entities can form such communities. If you’re interested in organizing an Energy Community read more here.

Activities

Besides generating energy and increasing the usage of resources, developing new services that help transform the energy model is also an essential activity of an Energy Community. These services can include (insert relevant services). Each activity contributes to the main goal of the community which is achieving economic savings and reaching 100% renewable energy consumption.

By being a part of an Energy Community you can not only save on your energy bills but also contribute to the EU’s renewable energy production. When it comes to energy consumption each individual step can make a difference, the way we consume energy and the source of energy we choose to use will affect both our energy savings and our contribution to the bigger picture.