Renewable energy community in a condominium: how it works

A renewable energy community, or CER, is an autonomous legal entity that brings together producers and consumers of electricity connected to the same primary substation, who virtually share the power generated from renewable sources. For a condominium the CER is a concrete opportunity: a photovoltaic system on the common roof feeds the owners' utilities, and the energy shared with the grid is remunerated by the GSE with an incentive tariff. The reference framework is Legislative Decree 199/2021, which implements the European renewables directive, made operational by the ministerial CACER decree and the rules of the national energy services operator.

How a CER differs from collective self-consumption

Two different configurations should not be confused. In collective self-consumption the parties sharing the energy are located in the same building or condominium: this is the classic case of condominium photovoltaics serving only the utilities of that building. A renewable energy community has a wider reach: it can include parties in different buildings, provided they are connected to the same primary substation, such as several condominiums in the same area, individual citizens, small businesses or local authorities. Here the condominium can join the CER as a producer, as a consumer, or as both.

The choice between the two schemes depends on the goals: if you want to involve only the owners, collective self-consumption is simpler; if you aim to involve the neighbourhood and maximise shared energy, the CER is the way.

The role of the owners' meeting and the majorities

Installing a renewable energy system on the common parts falls among the innovations aimed at containing energy consumption and producing energy from renewable sources, provided for by Article 1120, second paragraph, of the Italian Civil Code. These innovations enjoy a reduced quorum: the resolution is valid with the favourable vote of the majority of those attending the meeting representing at least half the value of the building, under the reference to Article 1136, second paragraph.

Joining the energy community remains a voluntary choice for each owner. A dissenting owner is not obliged to take part, does not bear the related share of the cost if the works are separable, but consequently does not benefit from the distributed incentives. The meeting authorises the use of the common roof and delegates a referent, usually the condominium manager, to handle relations with the GSE and sign the contracts.

How to set it up, step by step

Setting up a CER involving a condominium follows some recurring steps. The sequence should be adapted to the project, but the main stages are these:

1. Preliminary check of the primary substation serving the utilities involved, using the map made available by the distributor.
2. Technical and economic feasibility study of the photovoltaic system on the common parts, sizing the capacity.
3. Owners' meeting resolution with the reduced quorum to authorise the works and appoint the referent towards the GSE.
4. Establishment of the CER legal entity, for example an association or a cooperative, with by-laws that exclude profit as the main purpose.
5. Construction of the system and grid connection with the POD code of the production point.
6. Submission to the GSE of the application to access the incentives and activation of the valorisation and incentive service.

Incentives: premium tariff and PNRR grant

The economic benefit of a CER is made up of several items. The main one is the incentive tariff granted by the GSE on the shared energy, that is, the share of production consumed by members within the same hour. Added to this is a payment that values the reduction in grid losses generated by local production. For municipalities below a certain population threshold, a capital grant is also available from PNRR resources, covering part of the eligible cost of building the new systems.

Incentives must be managed with accounting care, because they are community revenue that must then be split among members according to the criteria set in the by-laws. For the condominium it is best to keep the flows tied to the CER clearly separate from the building's ordinary accounts.

Tax and accounting matters to oversee

Taking part in an energy community introduces new movements to track: construction costs, any grants received, incentive proceeds and their redistribution. Keeping a clear record of membership shares and the approved distribution criteria is essential, because a member can always ask for an account of the sum due to them. The manager who takes on the referent role must also coordinate communications with the operator and keep the technical and contractual documentation.

Managing a CER without proper tools means multiplying spreadsheets and risking errors in the split. Management software such as AmministraPro lets you register the utilities involved, track the community's economic flows separately and distribute incentives and costs in a transparent, verifiable way. The available features are described on the /funzioni page, while the plans and their costs are on the /prezzi page.