Overview
Renewable energy communities are defined in the Act on Promotion of Renewable Energy as "Legal entity based on open and voluntary participation, independent and effectively controlled by shareholders or participants located in the vicinity of the renewable energy projects owned and developed by this legal entity, whose shareholders or participants are private persons, SMEs or local authorities, including municipalities, and whose main purpose is to provide its shareholders or participants or the local areas in which it operates with environmental, economic or social community benefits rather than financial profit" (§5, Act on Promotion of Renewable Energy). There are no measures on energy sharing, but it is defined that the Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities may lay down rules on citizen energy communities and renewable energy communities. However, a scheme that supports local citizen initiatives to secure loan guarantees for feasibility studies of RES plants does exist in Denmark. Though this does not extend to sharing energy or creating energy communities as the support no longer applies past the planning stages. On the other hand, a measure on net-metering allows for prosumers to pay a reduced charge on electricity produced from their own solar panels or windmills and consumed within one hour.
Summary of regulations
- Net-metering – All electricity prosumers are exempted from paying an environmental charge on electricity that is produced from renewable sources and consumed within one hour.
Competent authorities
DMoCEU
