The long-awaited Ministerial Decree that regulates the incentives for Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) has finally been published and, according to the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, came into force on January 24, 2024.

The incentive scheme aimed at supporting the new configurations of widespread self-consumption and RECs will have a total value of €5.7 billion and will be used to promote the development of a total of 7 GW of renewable energy plants nationwide.

“Renewable Energy Communities and widespread self-consumption are two central gears of the country's energy transition,” commented Minister Gilberto Pichetto. “Today we are even closer to this long-awaited goal, which can truly mark a turning point for the development of renewables in Italy, strengthening its energy security and bringing us closer to climate targets.”

REC Decree, Incentive Tariff and Non-Repayable Grants

The tools identified by the decree to promote RECs and self-consumption are mainly two:

• 4 other principles produced and shared, financed through charges on electricity bills, with the addition of the ARERA valorization fee.

• Non-repayable grant of up to 40% of eligible costs aimed at communities with plants built in municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants.

REC: What It Is and How to Establish a Renewable Energy Community

A Renewable Energy Community (REC) is made up of people who collaborate to produce, consume and/or exchange renewable energy, locally and sustainably. In other words, it’s a group of individuals, families, companies, organizations, and communities working together to promote the production of renewable energy from sources such as sun, wind, water, and biomass.

Members are divided into prosumers (owners of photovoltaic systems who both produce and consume energy) and consumers (users of energy produced by the community). This creates a virtuous cycle of energy reuse that brings significant benefits to everyone in the REC.

RECs can include private citizens, public administrations, local and religious entities, and SMEs (excluding large enterprises and large-scale retail) that fall under the same primary distribution substation. In addition to this, there are 4 other principles to be respected, which we recommend reading.

To verify which distribution substation your home is connected to, consult the interactive map on the GSE portal.

Contact Pro CER, the Platform for Managing and Animating Renewable Energy Communities

If you are considering establishing a REC, or have already started one, it is essential to use a platform that allows you to manage its accounting and engagement.

Contact Pro CER is a platform for the complete creation and management of RECs that combines Artificial Intelligence, a mobile app, and a web platform to engage both consumers and prosumers.

It is the ideal solution provided to public administrations, SMEs, and citizens who want to establish a Renewable Energy Community in a virtuous and efficient way.

But what are the most important features?

• Multi-REC management

• Multi-user management

• Real-time management of energy flows produced, self-consumed, and fed into the grid

• REC accounting management

• Environmental impact tracking (CO₂ calculation)

• Data export in CSV, XLSX formats

• Superadmin, admin, and participant user access

• Performance verification of photovoltaic systems

If you are thinking of setting up a REC and want more information about our Contact Pro CER solution, download the brochure and register for our free webinars where we will show you how the platform works.