Towards the Energy Transition
Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) are Self-Consumption Configurations for Renewable Energy Sharing formed by multiple stakeholders such as citizens, businesses, associations, and public authorities, who join together to produce and share energy generated from renewable sources.
The community is established as an independent legal entity with the aim of generating environmental, economic, and social benefits for its members and the local area. The energy produced by the installations is virtually shared among participants through the electricity grid.
RECs originated at the European level and have been transposed and implemented in Italy through specific legislative measures, including the most significant one, the “Self-Consumption Configuration for Renewable Energy Sharing Decree and Integrated Framework for Distributed Self-Consumption – Operating Rules for Access to the Distributed Self-Consumption Service and the NRRP Grant“. Within this regulatory framework, TerrAria supports Public Administrations throughout the entire REC development process, from the preliminary assessment through to access to incentive schemes.
Participation in the Lombardy Region Call for Proposals for the Development of RECs
TerrAria assisted local authorities in applying for the Lombardy Region call for proposals supporting the development of RECs, an implementing measure of Regional Law No. 2/2022, structured into two phases approved through Regional Executive Board Resolutions (DGR) No. 6270/2022 and No. 3090/2024. Following the completion of Phase 1, with the approval of the list of Renewable Energy Community proposals deemed eligible (Decree No. 18074/2023), the programme moved to Phase 2 by funding projects for the construction of new renewable energy generation plants and energy storage systems owned by public entities, installed on publicly owned properties and serving Renewable Energy Communities across the Lombardy Region.
During Phase 1, TerrAria supported the nine municipalities belonging to Agenzia InnovA21 (Seveso, Cesano Maderno, Varedo, Barlassina, Bovisio Masciago, Lentate sul Seveso, Meda, Desio, and Misinto), as well as the municipalities of Monza, Bussero, and Cologno Monzese. All proposals were admitted to Phase 2. Among the municipalities that decided to continue into Phase 2, the RECs of Cologno Monzese, Bussero, Lentate sul Seveso, and Meda obtained funding with the highest evaluation scores.
Development of the Renewable Energy Community and Solidarity (RECS) in the Municipality of Paderno Dugnano
Among the Quick Win actions of the aGREENment Climate Transition Strategy is the support provided for the establishment and activation of Renewable Energy Communities and Solidarity (RECS). A RECS is a REC with strengthened solidarity and social inclusion objectives, defined in its statutes and in the mechanisms for distributing benefits. Part of the economic benefits or the shared energy may, for example, be allocated to families experiencing hardship, initiatives to combat energy poverty, or the funding of local social programmes.
As technical assistance provider to Fondazione Cariplo, the project supports the partner municipalities throughout the various stages of the process, from the preliminary assessment and the definition of the organisational model to the preparation of the documentation required to access incentives provided by the Energy Services Manager.
Given the complexity of the procedures and the need to comply with the deadlines for submitting funding applications—including the upcoming Energy Services Manager application deadline (December 2027)—the Quick Win action plays a key enabling role in the development of local RECS initiatives. A first concrete example is the Feasibility Study for the RECS of the Municipality of Paderno Dugnano. This is complemented by the preparation of Strategic Guidelines for the establishment of a RECS in the municipalities of Muggiò and Seregno.
THE ROLE OF TERRARIA
TerrAria supports Public Administrations in promoting RECs by organising technical working groups involving the relevant stakeholders to facilitate their definition and establishment.
More specifically, TerrAria works with public authorities and REC members to identify the most appropriate legal structure and define all the elements required for its establishment. In order to assess the REC incentive, the electricity consumption of municipal users connected to the Primary Substation, together with that of the users joining the REC, is quantified and analysed. This leads to the preparation of a Feasibility Report covering the following aspects:
- REC energy balance;
- assessment of any constraints to be included in the REC Statutes and/or Internal Regulations;
- development of the business plan.
TerrAria also supports the members of the Self-Consumption Configurations for Renewable Energy Sharing in registering on the Energy Services Manager portal in order to obtain the available incentives in accordance with the current legislation.
