In the run-up to the International Day of Clean Energy, which will be held for the first time on Friday, 26 January, ECODES introduces Energía Común, an initiative driven with the support of Redeia, a global operator of essential energy and telecommunications infrastructures. Energía Común aims to accelerate the creation of energy communities with a social and environmental impact by starting an ecosystem that fosters knowledge exchange, networking, and collective intelligence.

Energy communities play a crucial role in driving the ecological transition and represent an emerging paradigm that empowers citizens to take an active role in energy management and production. In addition to sharing energy facilities, communities create a space for dialogue  reflecting a shared vision of sustainability and redefining how resources are conceived, generated, and consumed.  

To facilitate community development, Energía Común provides resources and the necessary support to create, manage, and optimise collaborative energy projects. It also offers information on European, national, and regional legislation related to collaborative energy production, distribution, and consumption, along with a section compiling available aid and subsidies for the launch of energy communities.

The impetus of this initiative also includes the involvement of a group of experts from leading entities dealing with various topics related to the change in the energy model. 

Against this backdrop, Víctor Viñuales, Executive Director of ECODES, emphasised that "at the last climate summit, the international community  - including oil-producing countries - agreed for the first time that the amount of renewable energies needs to be tripled".

"Local energy communities are contributing to this goal with a collective, decentralized, and participatory response. Therefore, at ECODES, we are putting all our efforts into promoting their development. They are also trying to generate environmental, economic, and social benefits, reaching even the most vulnerable populations".

"Beyond collective self-consumption, energy communities can engage in other activities, playing a key role in the energy transition. For all these reasons, we will continue to work tirelessly on their promotion", explained Viñuales.

Antonio Calvo Roy, Manager of the Sustainability Department at Redeia, point out that "in the face of the global problem of climate change, the more people who are aware of the importance of developing renewable energies, the better. Every initiative counts, and energy communities are an excellent way for citizens wanting to become agents of change in society to actually do so. Supporting an understanding of the development of the energy system transformation hand-in-hand with ECODES, who has so much experience in citizen-centred initiatives, is in keeping with Redeia's purpose". 

The first national observatory for energy communities

Another objective of Energía Común is to provide an overview of the impact and development of these entities in Spain. Pioneering in Europe, the observatory offers the most comprehensive information to date on these collective initiatives. Using an interactive map , it displays economic, energy, social, and governance indicators at both national and regional levels, using data based on the analysis of over 350 energy communities across the country.

This observatory is a living space that will gradually incorporate and update the data it provides as new communities are found and incorporate. 

IDAE Community Transformation Office

Another unique feature of Energía Común is the fact that it is recognised as one of the IDAE's Community Transformation Offices (CTO). This means that it provides information, advice, and support services for the creation and management of energy communities, to any citizen, small and medium-sized enterprises, or local authorities. 

To facilitate access to this service, Energía Común offers the service nationwide in an online format, although it also has physical offices in Aragon. 

About ECODES

ECODES is a non-profit private organisation that has been working since 1992 to find allies in citizens, civil society organisations, businesses, and public administrations, supporting and helping them accelerate their transition to a carbon-neutral, inclusive, responsible, and circular economy framed within a new governance model, through innovation and the building of bridges and alliances.

About Redeia

Redeia is a global operator of essential and neutral infrastructure that ensures power supply and connectivity in Spain and Latin America. It comprises five companies, including Red Eléctrica, the transmission system operator for the Spanish electrical system. Redeia contributed to the launch in 2021 of the first rural energy community in Spain, a milestone reached in Castilfrío de la Sierra (Soria). Under the name "Hacendera Solar", the initiative currently covers part of the town's electricity demand, adopting a management approach based on the combination of collective self-consumption and citizen participation, successfully reducing carbon emissions and energy expenses for the town and its residents.