REC: What they are and how to join

Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) represent one of the greatest opportunities to accelerate the energy transition and reduce energy costs for households, companies, and public authorities. Thanks to recent European and Italian regulations, it is now possible to produce, share, and consume renewable energy collaboratively and sustainably.

What are Renewable Energy Communities (RECs)?

An REC is a group of stakeholders—citizens, companies, local authorities, or associations—who decide to join forces to produce and share renewable energy at a local level. The goal is twofold:

• Reduce dependence on fossil fuels,
• Ensure both economic and environmental benefits for all members.

Each participant can contribute by installing photovoltaic, wind, or other renewable systems, or simply by consuming shared energy. The principle is distributed generation, where every excess kWh produced by one member is shared within the community.

Benefits of RECs for businesses and communities

• Economic savings: lower energy bills thanks to collective self-consumption and state incentives.
• Environmental sustainability: significant reduction of CO₂ emissions and promotion of renewables.
• Energy independence: greater resilience against volatile market prices.
• Social value: stronger cooperation among citizens, companies, and local territories.

The regulatory framework in Italy

In Italy, RECs are regulated under the transposition of the EU RED II Directive. With the new decrees, communities can access incentives for up to 20 years on shared energy, along with grants for the installation of renewable systems. The GSE (Gestore dei Servizi Energetici) is the authority responsible for managing incentives and monitoring the communities.

How to join a Renewable Energy Community

The process of joining or creating an REC includes several steps:

1. Technical and economic feasibility study, to assess the potential for production and consumption.
2. Legal establishment of the community, in the form of an association, cooperative, or other recognized entity.
3. Installation and connection of renewable systems.
4. Management and monitoring of energy flows, to maximize benefits and incentives.

The role of Veil Energy

Joining an REC requires technical, regulatory, and management expertise. Veil Energy supports companies, institutions, and communities throughout the process:

• Feasibility analysis,
• Technical design and consulting,
• Regulatory and administrative support,
• Monitoring through the E-BOOST platform, enabling real-time tracking of both consumption and production.

With our expertise, we transform regulatory and technical complexity into a clear, safe, and advantageous path. Would you like to know more? Request our support!