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Deliverable 4.2 (D 4.2) addresses various model financing instruments, with a focus on the framework conditions and the context. D 4.2 provides an analysis of the financing instruments and of their instrumental adequacy to promote RECs. The D 4.2 report will also consider established financial incentives to promote RECs under “grid-supporting” conditions. This implies an overview on different tariffs (energy and grid) as well as the corresponding legal framework conditions for the economic viability of RECs in future energy markets. The report shortly analyses the regulatory framework conditions with regard to grid tariffs for active and passive market participants. Furthermore, the project report D4.2 will – following the tradition of hands-on approaches under COME RES in the target regions - give an overview of the financing instruments that already exist in the COME RES countries, including e.g. tax incentives, renewable energy certificates or specific local bond mechanisms. Throughout this task they will be analysed regarding their benefits and deficits, based on input received from the COME RES countries. This analysis can then be used to determine appropriate business models and financing instruments, which work best under certain local specific conditions. Preliminary results of this Deliverable were fed into project tasks 5.2 and 5.3 which identify and assess good and best practice cases of RECs. &nbsp

Bis 2030 soll der Anteil erneuerbarer Energien im Stromsystem 80% betragen. Nicht nur für den Klimaschutz, auch für die Unabhängigkeit von fossilen Brennstoffen und einzelnen Exportländern ist der Ausbau der erneuerbaren Energien zentral. Diesen möchte die Bundesregierung mit der Überarbeitung des Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetzes forcieren und auch das Strommarktdesign an die Erfordernisse der Zeit anpassen. Doch mit diesem Ausbau sind auch enorme Kosten verbunden. Im Impulspapier „Strommarktdesign 2030: Die Förderung der erneuerbaren Energien wirksam und effizient gestalten“ geht es um die Frage, wie der Wandel hin zu einem marktwirtschaftlichen System gelingen kann, in dem Erneuerbare effizient in den Markt integriert werden können., By 2030, the share of renewable energies in the electricity system is to be 80%. The expansion of renewable energies is not only central for climate protection, but also for independence from fossil fuels and individual exporting countries. With the revision of the Renewable Energy Sources Act, the Federal Government would like to accelerate this and also adapt the electricity market design to the requirements of the times.

Das Jahr 2021 hat in Deutschland neuen Schwung in die Bemühungen zum Klimaschutz gebracht. Die Novelle des Klimaschutzgesetzes schreibt eine Reduktion der Treibhausgasemissionen um 65 % bis zum Jahr 2030 gegenüber 1990 fest. Maßgeblich dazu beitragen soll ein massiver Ausbau der Stromerzeugung aus erneuerbaren Energien. Nach Verschärfung der Klimaschutzmaßnahmen stellt sich die Frage, ob das bisherige Strommarktdesign und die damit einhergehenden Vergütungsregeln für die Stromerzeugung auch bei einem von erneuerbaren Energien dominierten Strommarkt weiterhin geeignet sind, um die im Energiewirtschaftsgesetz festgeschriebenen Ziele der Versorgungssicherheit und Preisgünstigkeit bestmöglich zu erreichen. The year 2021 has brought new momentum to climate protection efforts in Germany. The amendment to the Climate Protection Act stipulates a 65 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990. A major contribution to this will come from a massive expansion of electricity generation from renewable energies. Following the tightening of the climate protection measures, the question arises as to whether the current electricity market design and the associated remuneration rules for electricity generation are still suitable for achieving the goals of security of supply and low prices stipulated in the Energy Industry Act, even with an electricity market dominated by renewable energies.

Deliverable 4.1. provides an overview of existing and planned organisational and legal forms and business models of renewable energy communities (RECs) from across Europe. In addition, this report includes - where relevant and not yet described in the COME RES Deliverable 2.1 “Assessment Report on Technical, Legal, Institutional and Policy Conditions”1 - information on local conditions, such as regulatory specificities at local and/or national level, available resources and support mechanisms, as well as further financial conditions and barriers (economic, regulatory, social, technical, related to other local conditions). Business models in this context are understood as models that are financially viable and “provide environmental, economic or social community benefits for its shareholders or members or for the local areas where it operates, rather than financial profits’2”. Further aspects include a community’s main value proposition to its beneficiaries, the key partners, its main activities, drivers and resources that are not monetary.

The EU Clean Energy Package (CEP) was finalised in June 2019 after the publication of its final texts in the Official Journal of the European Union, following trilogue negotiations between the European Commission, Council, and Parliament. It includes eight legislative texts - four directives and four regulations - on the electricity market and consumers, energy efficiency and the energy efficiency of buildings, renewables and bioenergy sustainability as well as governance of the Energy Union. In this report, we will focus on three of the eight legislative texts. First is the Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action (Regulation (EU) 2018/1999). Second is the directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (Directive (EU) 2018/2001) that is commonly referred to as RED II. Third is the directive on common rules for the internal market in electricity (Directive (EU) 2019/944). We will assess the impact of this legislation on the European internal electricity market rules compared to the framework established by the Third Energy Package. In this report, we present the background to the CEP provisions and weigh the possible implications of these measures.

In 2019, Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) were formally defined in the European regulatory framework within RED II. As Lowitzsch et al. (2020) state, RECs are regarded as a valid option for an inclusive energy transition in Europe. RED II defines that the motives for a REC shall not be purely economic but mostly driven by ecological aims and social benefits. As a REC still represents a business that has to be economically viable, a focus on successful business models is necessary in order to assist the various COME RES regions and beyond to get a good element for their individual toolboxes to promote/engage in RECs. In the context of COME RES transfer activities, workshops have been carried out in Germany, Italy, Latvia and Poland scrutinizing best practice cases from the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Poland. During these workshops, a good practice business model from a concrete REC (or energy cooperative/cluster) from an EU member state has been discussed in a so-called learning region. The transferability of the business model to the learning region was assessed and necessary adaptations due to national legal frameworks and market conditions have been discussed. Methodologically, the Business Model Canvas by Osterwalder and Pigneur (2013) was applied to structure the focus of the transferred business models and to evaluate how a tailor-made business model could look like in the learning regions. Some similarities were noticeable over all transfer cases: Local municipalities are regarded as key partners of a well-functioning REC business model, as those are key actors in any local context, and can provide suitable areas for the installation of RES plants (e.g. rooftops) and also stand as an enabler of the project in general. Funding is regarded as a key resource, alongside knowledge and members of a REC. The cost structure is similar as well and revolves around the initial cost that relates to the setup of the RES infrastructure and tariffs or fees that have to be considered for the use of public distribution grids. In conclusion, the transfer of business models from other contexts is possible, if those are translated and adjusted and not only copied to another context. To facilitate the business possibilities of a REC, the proper transposition of RED II, especially regarding enabling conditions for Energy Sharing should be implemented.