Establishing a Renewable Energy Community in a Residential District: Advantages and Implementation Challenges

Energy independence and security have become increasingly important for public opinion, especially because of the ongoing war conflicts and the most tangible repercussion is the rise in energy prices. Also, the need to implement decarbonization must be added. Energy efficiency and electrification of final consumption are the main tools to implement this transition. However, to ensure the full integration of renewable energy sources (RES) in the electricity system it is necessary to overcome some problems. For example, the geographical location of RES installations is linked to the resource’s availability and the areas suitable for their realization, both are not necessarily consistent with final consumption. One way to overcome the latter limitation is to locate the production place near the consumption one. The domestic sector with 25% of the national total represents the third sector for electricity consumption. This sector has a strong potential in terms of electricity production and consumption. Residential realities, in fact, fit perfectly into the role of “prosumer” as identified by the European Directive RED II (2018/2001/EU) [1]. This study focuses on the possible advantages of establishing an energy community (REC) in a residential district of the Abruzzo hinterland. Specifically, this community will see the sharing of energy produced by renewable energy plants placed on the roofs of existing buildings. The proposed community model directly involves citizens and public administration. The benefits that can be identified are set out in different objectives of the 2030 Agenda (SDG 7 and 11) and are social, economic, and environmental.