The Valencian Community leads the creation of renewable energy communities with 85 installations underway, a number that contrasts with the 73 created throughout Spain and in which the investment and return exceeds 3 million euros in some 80 municipalities, according to a statement. of the Valencian Association of Energy Communities (AVACE).
The president of the group, Juan Sacri, from the Sapiens Energía company, attributes this growth to the "powerful commitment" that the Generalitat has made since the end of 2019 to promote this type of community in search of energy sovereignty, as indicated. to the Efe Agency.
The impact of these 85 energy communities goes beyond the reduction of costs or economic benefits, since its most important value is in the social and environmental impact in the immediate environment, putting citizens at the center of decision-making. decisions of the energy sector, as indicated by European directives, says Avace.
The investment and return of these purposeful energy communities in the local economy of the Valencian towns is more than 3 million euros, with estimated savings for citizens and local entities of 922,500 euros per year.
For Sacri, unlike other initiatives in which large companies of the electricity oligopoly participate, energy communities with a purpose "are the only ones" that advocate energy sovereignty, since it is people, SMEs and local entities that take decisions and have an active role in the energy market.
Furthermore, all profits from the activities of the energy community are returned to its members.
What is a purpose-driven energy community?
Purpose-driven energy communities are made up of neighbors, SMEs, businesses and local entities.
They are usually of an associative or cooperative nature, of open participation and effective control is held by the partners.
The general assembly, represented by the members, determines the entry, management and investment fees, unlike other types of groups in which large companies limit governance to maintain their power, remaining as mere marketers.
Sacri defends that energy communities with a purpose are "the only way to guarantee the democratization of the profitability derived from shared self-consumption, which is distributed among small savers and facilitates future installations or activities through collective purchase or microfinancing".
On the other hand, energy communities with a purpose aim to generate social and environmental benefit, in addition to an economic return that is 100% reinvested in the energy community, so the impact on the locality is direct and recurring.
Avace considers it a setback that large energy companies are incorporated into the governance of energy communities, since in this way dependence on the large players in the energy market is maintained, which will continue to benefit alone from the economic benefits in the energy sector, it adds.