The number of energy communities in Greece that are set up purely for self-production of electricity is constantly increasing.
Small businesses have also ventured into the world of energy communities. Recent examples include the planned pharmacists’ energy community, as well as the Prespes Renewable Energy Community by hoteliers, bean growers and the local municipal authority.
The Prespes community, which was established in early June, will not only alleviate energy costs for tourist establishments and farmers in the region, thus helping to reduce their carbon footprint and increase their competitiveness, but will also help with the energy needs of vulnerable households in the area.
In a related report by journalist Machie Tratsa for the newspaper “To Vima”, policy associate Ioanna Theodosiou stressed that “such efforts should be supported both with financial resources and access to the electricity grid, but also institutionally by ensuring a reasonable payback period for investments under the new system of self-production, i.e. net billing”.
She also underlined that it is necessary that these energy community schemes be included in the future in the allocation of resources from the Just Development Transition Programme.
According to The Green Tank’s Community Energy Watch, by the end of 2023 Greece had 1,689 active energy communities.
The report by Machie Tratsa was published in “To Vima” on Sunday 4 August.
