Development prospects for energy communities in the EU identifying best practice and future opportunities using a morphological approach

Abstract

The 2018/19 Clean Energy Package of the European Union introduced a wide range of policy measures to further advance the Energy Transition, with one focus being low-carbon, renewable energy (RE) to replace fossil-based sources. RE production is typically disaggregated locally, legally, and in terms of ownership of the production facilities. Moreover, RE production technologies are various, and so are their respective usage, investment schemes, investors, geographic and financial properties, and, as a result, their support measures. With a focus on the new regulatory framework of the Directive on the Internal Energy Market (IEMD) and the recast of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), we analyse best practice business models for Energy Communities (ECs). To capture the multitude of pluri-dimensional design perspectives for ECs we develop and employ a new morphological approach, i.e., a morphological box for ECs (https://kelso-institute-europe.de/projects/energy-communities). This approach enables researchers and policy makers to identify the constellations for participation models that best fit the new EU policy strategy and to show opportunities with regard to combinations underused or not at all exploited yet. Based on this assessment we formulate policy recommendations and suggestions for the further development of Energy Transition participation models in general and ECs in particular.