Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) are no longer merely a theoretical exercise or an emergency measure for the energy transition: they have become, in all respects, a new model of economic, energy and social organisation for Italy. This was the key message to emerge from the institutional conference held at the headquarters of the CNEL, organised in close cooperation with ENEA, with the participation of senior representatives from the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE), ARERA, the GSE, as well as stakeholders from the banking and cooperative sectors and the technology supply chain.
A high-profile event that marked a crucial turning point: the definitive transition of RECs from their “startup” phase towards a phase of structural consolidation. It is no longer enough to install solar panels simply to obtain a short-term economic benefit; what is needed is the creation of integrated ecosystems, territorial service platforms, and a digital and grid infrastructure capable of enabling genuine flexibility across the electricity system.
Against this backdrop of profound transformation, those working in the management, asset management and monitoring of renewable energy plants are facing an unprecedented industrial challenge and opportunity.
The “Network of Networks” and a new constitutional role for intermediary bodies
The proceedings were opened by CNEL President Renato Brunetta, alongside a video message from Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin and an address by ENEA President Francesca Mariotti.
Brunetta highlighted how energy communities represent the concrete implementation of Article 99 of the Italian Constitution: a natural arena for intermediary bodies — businesses, workers, third-sector organisations, land reclamation consortia and local authorities — to rebuild social cohesion and help manage the major demographic and energy transitions facing the country.
“Whoever has a network has a treasure. Today, whoever has a network of networks has a treasure raised to the power of ten.”
From a systemic perspective, as confirmed by Minister Pichetto Fratin, RECs represent a safeguard against depopulation in inland and mountainous areas, a tool for tackling energy poverty, and a key pillar for achieving the targets set out in the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC).
This commitment was formally reinforced during the event with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between CNEL and ENEA, which is intended to translate into concrete policy proposals and draft legislation aimed at simplifying and strengthening Renewable Energy Communities.
The current state of play: GSE figures, the NRRP and the funding challenge
The practical implementation of the initiative was discussed by Luca Barberis (Director of Renewable Energy Sources at GSE) and Stefania Crotta (Director General at MASE).
The figures point to an extraordinary level of activity:
- More than 48,000 NRRP applications submitted as of 30 November 2025;
- Over 4,500 configurations already qualified or operational, with the potential target effectively doubling compared with the 1.7 GW originally planned;
- A reallocation of funding to approximately €800 million, together with its transformation into a facility, which secured a crucial operational extension: 24 months from the award date and, in any case, until 31 December 2027 to complete the projects.
However, as Andrea Brugnach (Vice President of Italia Solare) pointed out, the figures for authorised generation capacity alone do not tell the whole story. As of today, operational configurations bring together approximately 37,000 actual members, representing just 0.1% of Italy’s electricity supply points (PODs), with an average of only 10 participants per community.
The real risk? Ending up with thousands of completed installations but “dwarf” configurations lacking a meaningful volume of electricity consumers. To prevent this from happening, GSE and MASE are working to shorten the time required to recognise and settle the incentive tariff, reducing the gap between advance payments and final adjustments in order to provide almost real-time feedback on consumption behaviour. They are also working to redirect any remaining funds towards covering applications currently left on the waiting list.
Regulation and the energy market: flexibility, demand response and on-bill cost separation
The shift from “passive producer” to active prosumer is bringing about profound changes in the management of both distribution and transmission networks.
Livio De Santoli, a Member of the ARERA Board, outlined the regulatory priorities for the next seven years, which he described as “the seven years of the energy revolution”:
- Valuing shared energy and separating network charges on electricity bills: following the launch of proceedings in late June 2026, the Authority aims to remove network tariff components directly from electricity bills for energy that is simultaneously generated and consumed locally.
- Managing intermittency and Demand Response: Italy continues to face high energy costs due to its dependence on gas. Decoupling electricity prices from gas requires greater demand-side flexibility, coordinated through energy storage systems and the ability to modulate consumption.
- Grid connection infrastructure: with connection requests for ground-mounted renewable projects amounting to 10–15 times the PNIEC targets, MASE has already allocated €270 million to Distribution System Operators (DSOs) for new primary substations and switching stations, and €400 million to Terna (TSO) to make the grid smarter and more resilient.
The Roundtable: Finance, Bankability and the “Beyond the Incentive” Challenge
Moderated by Matteo Caldera (ENEA), the first roundtable focused on the key issue of the economic sustainability of RECs once the current incentive schemes come to an end.
- The banking sector (ABI, Banca Etica, Federcasse): Angelo Peppetti (ABI) and Paolo Vierucci (Banca Etica) highlighted the need for a dedicated section for RECs within the SME Central Guarantee Fund, with a revolving leverage mechanism, as well as the standardisation of business plan methodologies. With more than 150 RECs in its portfolio, Banca Etica has demonstrated how applying an Impact Appetite Framework (ESG) can reward investment quality. Gianni Parigi (Federcasse) referred to the Tuscan model of a regional credit cooperative, designed to protect the mutualistic value of the cooperative model while supporting local installers.
- Regional financial institutions and One-Stop Shops: Carmelo Campagna (ANFIR) emphasised that regional public financial institutions can represent the final link needed to build bankable value chains and aggregate projects, while Benedetta Brighenti (RENAEL) illustrated the decisive role of local energy agencies as One-Stop Shops — also envisaged under the EPBD — in supporting citizens and public authorities in the transition towards a Positive Energy District (PED).
- Consumers and the third sector: Tiziana Toto (Cittadinanza Attiva) and Alessandro Caffi (CEI) stressed that without trust, transparent statutes and clear, accessible language, citizens will never be willing to join.
From theory to the field: service platforms and enabling technology
The second roundtable, moderated by Paolo Zangheri (ENEA), brought together representatives from the cooperative sector (Maria Adele Prosperoni of Confcooperative and Giorgio Nanni of Legacoop, with the Respira project), industry associations and industrial operators.
Two technical contributions provided a clear picture of the role of digitalisation:
- Michele Vitiello (IFEC / WEC Italia): he focused on the energy trilemma — security, affordability and sustainability. As the energy system shifts from a hierarchical to a distributed model, RECs are becoming intelligent nodes, comparable in some respects to blockchain networks, that must safeguard cyber resilience while managing demand to prevent grid congestion.
- Violetta Scipinotti (E2.0) and Alfonso Bonafede (Federesco): they urged stakeholders not to treat RECs “like an endangered panda that needs to be protected with public money”, but rather as hybrid entities capable of doing business while redistributing social value. From local micro-welfare applications enabled by multichain tokens to leveraging the Conto Termico 3.0 scheme and EPC contracts, the REC evolves from a simple electricity configuration into a genuine multi-service platform.
As Sergio Olivero (Politecnico di Torino – Tenval Group, CNEL) aptly put it, RECs are, first and foremost, “data reservoirs.” The precise management of 15-minute readings, the calculation of simultaneity between generation and consumption, the monetisation of carbon credits, and interoperability between inverters, batteries and industrial loads represent the true economic frontier for these entities.
Raptech’s perspective: data as the cornerstone of distributed energy
The conclusions drawn by Paolo Pirani (CNEL Board Member) and Raffaele Morese (Associazione Nuovi Lavori) set a clear objective: Italy needs a national coordination task force and a stable regulatory framework to channel the energy of civil society and avoid trying to “drive a Formula 1 car with the handbrake on.”
For operators in the photovoltaic and renewable energy sectors, the message from the conference is crystal clear: the era of subsidised passive installations, regardless of how they are actually used, is over.
A REC can only thrive and generate returns for its members if it:
- Monitors energy flows in real time at every point across the network to maximise the share of energy that is effectively shared;
- Integrates and controls photovoltaic generation, energy storage systems, EV charging stations and the electrification of thermal loads;
- Ensures data reliability and transparency to facilitate access to bank financing, reporting to GSE and the fair distribution of benefits among members.
In this new paradigm of shared energy, IT infrastructure, advanced monitoring and cloud-based energy management platforms are not an ancillary cost: they are the true engine that transforms bureaucratic complexity into economic, environmental and social value for local communities.