Comunità energetiche e nuova gestione della distribuzione dell’energia elettrica

Recent regulatory frameworks in Europe and other regions have introduced mechanisms that allow direct electricity transactions between end users, nowadays several of them being equipped with generation units, if they are connected to the same power distribution network. The authors of this paper, together with the participants of the panel “Le comunità energetiche rinnovabili e il loro sviluppo” (Academy of Sciences of Bologna Institute, 9 May 2024), consider that these schemes, in particular in the case of collective users and energy communities, can facilitate the ongoing energy transition and decarbonization of the electricity sector. The topic is timely and was the subject of an issue of the AEIT magazine (November/December 2023). This paper aims to summarize the basic concepts and the expected impact of energy communities on the operation of power distribution networks, while projecting a future in which these communities operate independently of public incentives.