7 August 2024
Against a backdrop of volatile energy costs and increasing environmental regulatory pressure, energy communities are set to expand.
As major consumers of energy, companies still need to improve their energy management in order to reduce their impact on the environment and remain competitive. Energy communities can provide a solution to this dual concern. Driven by a European initiative, new forms of energy sharing are springing up all over Europe, and particularly in Wallonia.
Reinforced governance, also for SMEs, as of 2026
The integration of sustainability objectives is set to affect a growing number of companies and SMEs over the next few years, whether through reporting obligations, or to access sources of financing.
What is an energy community?
Energy Communities enable local players (citizens, local authorities, small and medium-sized enterprises) to come together through a legal structure (non-profit organization, cooperative, etc.) to produce, consume, store and sell renewable energy, and to share the energy produced by community-owned production units within the community.
Would you like to know whether this applies to your company or your local authority, and under what conditions?
Climact’s team of legal, technical and economic experts can help you answer these questions:
- What is an energy community, who are the different players, and what are their roles and responsibilities?
- What European, Belgian and regional legislation must your project comply with?
- What are the future changes in the legal framework that you need to take into account when designing your project to ensure its sustainability?
- What sustainable energy investment subsidies (process energy efficiency and renewable energies) are available to you?
- How do you approach your partners (real estate, public authorities, businesses in your community) to convince them of the added value of your project?
Following a diagnosis carried out with your teams, you will receive a report with recommendations:
- Which legal form to adopt: although the European directive does not place any restrictions on the legal form to be adopted by the energy community, each form has its own advantages and disadvantages, and we can help you choose the structure that best suits your project.
- What pitfalls should be avoided when setting up an energy community, and in the future?
What are the concrete benefits of setting up an Energy Community, for you and your partners?
Economic benefit : the financial impact on the electricity bill is positive, both for the generating company and for its partners. In general, the prox difference for consumers within an Energy Community is considered to be around 10 to 15%. Moreover, this price is less volatile and more predictable.
Image benefits: your company or municipality plays an active role and directly supports the energy transition. You become a responsible agent of change, as part of a collective, local dynamic.
What does an Energy Community mean in concrete terms for you and your partners?
The definition of the sharing perimeter (limited to a single building or to a local perimeter comprising several sites and buildings) will determine the need to create a legal personality, as well as various contracts.
Collective self-consumption within the same building: renewable energy sources are located in or on the same building, and active customers act collectively in or on the same building: no need to set up a legal entity.
Creation of two new contracts:
- Contract between the owner of the surplus and its consumers ;
- Contract between the surplus owner and the distribution system operator (DSO) setting out respective responsibilities (application of a distribution key, collection and communication of energy consumption and production data, etc.).
- Maintaining the contract with the supplier, enabling the latter to supply the portion of electricity not generated by energy sharing.
Sharing within a local perimeter: geographical perimeter located within part of the same DSO and obligation to set up a legal entity: the energy community.
Creation of three new contracts:
- Contract between the community and its members (consumers and prosumers).
- Contract between the community and the DSO
- Contract between the community and a supplier to buy back surplus electricity.
Today, we can examine together how you can benefit from energy sharing within an Energy Community: contact our experts Dimitri Mertens and Antoine Wolters for more information.