About PIACER
Renewable Energy Communities: potential and challenges
Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) represent an innovative and sustainable solution for energy production and management. These communities consist of groups of citizens, businesses, and local authorities who collaborate to generate, share, and use energy produced from renewable sources. RECs not only contribute to reducing CO2 emissions and decarbonizing the electricity grid but also promote a more democratic and participatory management of energy resources. By actively participating in green energy production, RECs help create a more resilient and independent network, supporting the transition to a cleaner and fairer energy future.
In Italy, the spread of Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) is still limited compared to other European countries. While nations such as Germany and Denmark have developed extensive REC networks that significantly contribute to sustainable energy production, Italy is progressing at a slower pace. Bureaucratic barriers and the complexity of coordinating multiple stakeholders pose significant challenges. Additionally, the life cycle of a REC is riddled with technical challenges at every phase – from the optimal design of the community and its assets to the effective management of energy production, consumption and storage up to the need to encourage collaborative behaviours among REC members. To address these multifaceted challenges, we are taking a step forward by developing an enabling solution aimed at accelerating the growth of RECs and fully leveraging their potential in our country.
PIACER: an enabling platform
Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) represent an innovative and sustainable solution for energy production and management. These communities consist of groups of citizens, businesses, and local authorities who collaborate to generate, share, and use energy produced from renewable sources. RECs not only contribute to reducing CO2 emissions and decarbonizing the electricity grid but also promote a more democratic and participatory management of energy resources. By actively participating in green energy production, RECs help create a more resilient and independent network, supporting the transition to a cleaner and fairer energy future.
The project, which started in December 2023 and is expected to conclude in August 2026, is the result of collaborative efforts from various research laboratories and companies operating in Emilia-Romagna, and it has been made possible thanks to funding from European Funds
Objectives, results, and expected impacts
The PIACER project has a dual objective: on one hand, to develop the toolbox to facilitate the creation and management of new RECs, and on the other hand, to create a business model that effectively integrates RECs into urban and industrial systems, and in the future, into energy markets. By leveraging advanced monitoring systems and machine learning techniques, it will be possible to optimize the configuration and performance of RECs, maximizing their potential.