Transition towards the Renewable Energy Communities Ecosystem
The supply chain “Transition towards the Renewable Energy Communities ecosystem” was established within the LE2C “Smart Energy Systems” Competence Area and is coordinated by TerrAria Srl.
The objective of the project is to introduce a new paradigm for building Renewable Energy Communities (REC), as an alternative to the current extractive “turnkey” model, which generates limited environmental and social benefits in the involved territories. Through a bottom-up approach characterized by a plurality and differentiation of stakeholders, the supply chain strategy identifies different actors with specific vertical expertise for each task required to build the entire chain.
The supply chain has been officially recognized by Lombardy Region – Directorate-General for Economic Development, within the framework of the call for expressions of interest aimed at developing and strengthening production and service supply chains and industrial and economic ecosystems in Lombardy. The initiative was promoted by Lombardy Region to support the strengthening and competitiveness of production and service supply chains and industrial ecosystems in the region.
The Supply Chain, coordinated by TerrAria S.r.l., consists of a total of 11 entities, including: 9 companies, 1 consortium, and 1 technological cluster. The provinces involved are three: Bergamo, Brescia, and Milan.
The Supply Chain developed the project “TRANSITION TOWARDS THE RENEWABLE ENERGY COMMUNITIES ECOSYSTEM (in short REC ECOSYSTEM)” funded under the call “23IF – SUPPLY CHAIN CALL 2023”. The REC ECOSYSTEM project develops a new organizational and operational paradigm for the supply chain of stakeholders managing the various stages of REC creation and has been tested through support for the establishment of two self-consumption experiences: one individual and the other a fully-fledged REC, both within an industrial context.
For each phase of the ECOSYSTEM, a prototype output was developed (e.g. techno-economic feasibility, design, etc.) through a step-by-step process that enabled the different actors in the supply chain to collaborate across all phases, optimizing the support pathway for establishing the REC ECOSYSTEM. Additionally, a WIZARD-based software prototype was developed to support and standardize each of the sequential steps required for the creation of the REC ECOSYSTEM, from design through to management.
The roles assigned to each partner are as follows:
- REC analysis is carried out by two entities: Enertech Solution and Intech;
- Design of renewable energy plants is covered by three entities: ESE, Solarfast Srl, with support from the Stream Consortium;
- Digital technological solutions for the supply chain: software development by TerrAria Srl;
- Various support services:
- Weather forecasting provided by MOPI
- Assessment and certifications ensured by ICIM Spa
- Community Manager role performed by Enertech Srl
- Carbon footprint analysis carried out by Bluefoundation Srl
- Participation processes, identification of key social activation mechanisms, and supervision by Acero Srl
- Engagement activities carried out by TerrAria with the support of the LE2C cluster (Lombardy technological cluster for energy and environment)
- Legal support provided by TerrAria with the support of Studio Landilex
THE ROLE OF TERRARIA
Throughout the entire process, starting from the initial award phase of the Supply Chain Call 2023, TerrAria maintained direct interactions with representatives of Lombardy Region and Unioncamere in order to facilitate the successful implementation of the project. Through close collaboration with the relevant regional offices, it coordinated the partnership, participated in project dissemination meetings in collaboration with LE2C, and took part in meetings convened by Lombardy Region for the supply chains. It also launched the planned activities by participating in thematic technical meetings and facilitating information sharing.
To this end, a dedicated platform was made available for sharing materials, along with the organization of “steering committee” meetings involving all partners to ensure a comprehensive overview of ongoing activities.
TerrAria also identified and proposed, following working groups carried out in collaboration with the LE2C Cluster, two pilot cases within the company Gruppo Donelli, providing expertise gained from over twenty years of experience in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and, more broadly, distributed generation.
In parallel with its coordination role, TerrAria was also responsible for implementing “Digital technological solutions for the supply chain”, developing a prototype of an innovative software tool aimed at supporting and facilitating the standardization process required for the efficient operation of a REC. In particular, the prototype is able to:
- support the sizing of new and existing plants based on energy demand, optimizing self-consumption according to production and demand profiles;
- support the management of the REC once established by accounting for consumption and production;
- allocate management costs and incentives, calculating amounts for members based on REC rules;
- display the REC Carbon Footprint through a dedicated module.
