Although energy production is a traditional floor of large companies, so-called community energy projects are increasing in Europe. The Czechia is lagging behind in their development, which may be due to unsuitable conditions, but also access to renewable resources and cooperatives.

The principle of energy communities is simple – the municipality, its inhabitants and entrepreneurs agree to build their own own energy sources, such as wind farms. The co-owners of the source are also consumers of the energy produced and sell any surpluses either to the regular network or to other citizens of the municipality and the surrounding area.

The system of energy communities has developed in recent years, especially in Western European countries, including the United Kingdom and Germany. But neighboring Austria, Croatia and Greece are not far behind either.

“People are interested in energy communities because it can be beneficial,” he said Stanislas d’Herbemont from the European federation RESCoop, which brings together cooperative energy communities. If people invest in local energy production, they can get their money back in the form of lower electricity costs. In addition, revenues from the energy produced can support the development of the municipality, and thus the entire region. The money invested remains in the local economy.

There are two necessary conditions for the successful functioning of community energy – appropriately set legislation and the will of people to invest in their own resources. And that is exactly what the Czechia has a problem with. They drew the attention of the participants to the online debate organized by the Association for European Policy in cooperation with the Prague office of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung and EURACTIV.cz.

“There is a reluctance to create a social cooperative in our region,” the director of the Zlín Energy Agency explained the situation in the Czech regions. Miroslava Knotková. The agency seeks to help the region reduce energy consumption and use local resources. But community energy is still waiting for its “boom” in the Czech Republic.

“Energy is very professional, people don’t understand much and they have a hard time convincing to invest in an energy cooperative,” Knotková explained. According to the “cooperative” itself, which many people associate with the communist regime is problematic. In addition, there are practically no power outages in the region and there is always enough energy, so the locals do not need to be involved in production.

According to Knotková, the general distrust of Czechs in renewable energy sources and the weak awareness of photography to save energy also contribute to people’s reluctance to invest in cooperative energy, not only in terms of energy costs, but also in connection with climate protection. “Climate change is something very far away for many people, it has long been said to politicians that there is no climate change,” Knotková said.

Inspiration from neighbors

The key to the development of community energy in the Czech Republic may lie in appropriately set legislation, which would make it more advantageous for people to use energy from local sources. However, as Knotková points out, the legislation is currently not well set even for the installation of solar panels on the roofs of family houses. If the house does not consume energy, it sends it to the grid at a relatively low purchase price.

Anyone can generate electricity, just get rid of bureaucracy

The Czech Republic must enable the development of so-called community energy. This follows from European legislation, which is currently being transposed into Czech law. How will the Czech Republic deal with this? According to experts, it is crucial to break down existing bureaucratic obstacles.

The legislation is also not favorable for the production and sharing of energy in apartment buildings. I pointed this out Tomáš Voříšek from the consulting company SEVEn, which is also a member of the Prague Commission for Sustainable Energy and Climate.

“Austria and Germany, for example, create the energy produced in buildings that have multiple consumption points. Czech law simply does not allow it, “added Voříšek.

According to him, the Czechia could be inspired, for example, by Austria, which not only enables the production and sharing of energy in apartment buildings, but also ensures that the customer does not pay for the power or distribution component of the energy produced.

Prague wants to be a pioneer

New Czech legislation could bring change in the area of ​​apartment buildings. However, the capital is not empty and is already launching its own energy project – the Community for Renewable Energy Sources. It promises a lower dependence on energy supplies from coal-fired power plants and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, which Prague now produces.

“The community will be based on city buildings on which the city installs photovoltaic panels. We will create a special legal entity, which will be wholly owned by the capital city of Prague. The Community will purchase electricity from suppliers and reduce electricity costs at the installations. Whoever joins the community will also be entitled to a centralized purchase of electricity, which will be more advantageous in such a large entity as the capital Prague, “said the chairman of the Prague Commission for Sustainable Energy and Climate Martin Bursík.

The Community will benefit small and medium-sized enterprises and the population itself. For example, the city wants to allow Praguers to buy smaller shares in power plants installed in city buildings. Thus, even those who cannot install photovoltaics on their own roofs will be able to participate in energy production.

Prague will thus become one of the domestic pioneers in the field of community energy production. Similar or municipal projects are being created in the Czech Republic so far exceptionally. “Energy has not been addressed in cities before, cities have focused on investment and reconstruction,” said the chairman of the Association of Energy Managers of Cities. Jaroslav Klusak.

However, the situation is gradually improving, according to him, for example, municipalities are starting to monitor and also reduce energy consumption. Others try to provide advice, both in the field of savings and in the field of renewable energy sources. “These are rather exceptional projects,” Klusák said.

Non-profit communities

The Prague community and other energy communities building renewable sources could benefit from funding from European sources, such as the new Modernization Fund. However, as Knotková emphasized, the current proposals of the fund envisage that the support will go only to non-profit projects, which, according to her, could be an obstacle. “If it has to be non-profit, citizens will probably not be willing to invest in the project.”

New European legislation also counts on non-profit, which should ensure better conditions for the creation of energy communities in all EU member states. The goal of the community should not be financial gain for individual shareholders, but the socio-economic development of the whole region, he reminded Günter Pauritsch from the Austrian Energy Agency. In addition, community energy can play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the climate.

“Energy communities should not be a new business for existing market players. It should provide consumers with the opportunity to take an active part in the development of clean energy, ”explained Paulitsch.

Austria, like the Czechia, must adopt new legislation that meets EU requirements. According to the Austrian proposals, the country will benefit from the creation of economically sustainable energy communities. “The energy community can only function if it is cost-effective, it has to be the right size, ie enough members and energy production,” said Pauritsch when asked by the editors.

How the energy communities will be regulated in the Czechia remains a question. The government is counting on them in an amendment to the Energy Act, on the basis of which the bill is still working.