Italy is beginning to explore new horizons in the field of renewable energy, and one of the areas where this revolution could take hold. school system, Although there are still less Energy community based on renewable energy In the country, new incentives, bureaucratic reforms and upcoming investments are leading more and more people to imagine a future in which schools will be part of a shared energy network, harnessing clean technologies.
Energy Community in Schools
And legambiente report He guessed that if they came Solar panels installed on the roofs of all 40,000 active school buildings in Italy (with at least 20 kW of photovoltaics) it would be possible to produce Enough energy to meet the needs of more than 400,000 families In a relatively short time. This future has begun to take shape in some parts of the country.
For example, in Calabria, a photovoltaic system was recently inaugurated on the roof of a school that supplies energy to the entire village of San Nicola. Also in Turin, the possibility of creating an energy community that includes existing and future schools is being discussed. At Gramsci Scientific High School, photovoltaic systems have already been installed on rooftops, while other institutions have also made similar requests.
The first energy community of a school in Rome
Laparelli Comprehensive Institute may soon be built in Tor Pignatara The first energy community of the V municipality of Rome, Projects for the institute includeInstallation of solar panels on roofs Via Beccatelli houses buildings such as the Pietro Mancini Primary School and the Middle School, which also includes a nursery and a municipal nursery school. There are public residential buildings around the institutions.
The initiative follows guidelines established with a proposal last December by Roma Capital, which also created an interregional working group dedicated to energy communities and solar systems. The resolution established that these energy communities must built on public rooftops, With 15 projects, one for each municipality, to meet the needs of schools or other services and to share energy among members of energy communities with strong social impact, also involving families or family households in difficulty and solidarity projects. To support. Roma Capital will finance these 15 projects. This experiment anticipates the creation of real Energy communities in nearly 300 schools Which will be redeveloped in the coming years through the Institutional Development Contract (CIS), which already provides for the installation of solar systems. The first energy community in Lazio was inaugurated in Ventotene, while the first in Rome was built in the district of Cer Vitinia.
energy community
But what are energy communities? A energy community form a group of people who Participate collaboratively in the use of energy from renewable and ecological sources. This innovative approach revolutionizes the way energy is produced, distributed and consumed, placing significant emphasis on reducing waste and the possibility of access to clean energy at competitive costs. This new paradigm is fundamentally changing the landscape of the energy industry through the implementation of innovative solutions. Report “Energy community against crisis. Empathy, technologies and sectors for human-scale economy” created by Symbola Foundation Tea and Ipsos’ collaboration sheds light on how the creation of Renewable Energy Communities (CERs) can offer a concrete solution to tackle rising energy costsClimate emergency and energy poverty.
The report analyzes the level and prevalence of knowledge of energy communities in businesses and civil society in the country. And this highlights the good level of knowledge of CER. 200 interviews were conducted by Ipsos with small and medium-sized companies, collecting the opinions of entrepreneurs or top personalities who have complete information on company strategies regarding energy supply.
Energy community and energy crisis
Renewable energy communities represent a Possible solutions to deal with the climate crisis, reduce energy bills and make us independent from any energy blackmail. CER were Introduced in Europe in 2019 with the Clean Energy Package And they are becoming more and more popular. In the current crisis, municipalities are finding it difficult to provide services to citizens without state aid. It is necessary to make maximum use of all renewable energies and promote the development of the region while paying attention to environmental protection. energy community They represent a highly valuable opportunity for the energy transition Success. Energy policy is an extremely important issue, hence it is necessary to simplify the authorities.
Across businesses, key opportunities identified include reduction in energy bills (62%), and image upgrade (25%) and one Better integration with the community and region (20%). However, little is known about how and when to build energy communities, as well as the amount of investment required. Businesses see CERs as an opportunity to overcome the energy crisis and increase their competitiveness.
There is still work to be done to energy communities in schools
Despite progress, the current regulatory framework still hinders fully realizing this transformation. However, as Legambient outlines in its manifesto “Zero-emission schools and universities”, there are many Opportunities to transform Italian schools into energy communities If access is simplified and more support is provided.
The Legambient manifesto also suggests organizing Training workshops to raise awareness on innovation issues Monitoring the energy consumption of schools to better understand the social and quality of life, environmental impact and promoting decarbonization interventions through renewable energy communities harnessing school rooftops. All this can lead to a greater energy efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of the Italian school system.