{"id":13868,"date":"2025-08-24T18:46:21","date_gmt":"2025-08-24T16:46:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fotovol.com\/renewable-energy\/what-is-a-renewable-energy-community-rec-and-how-is-it-different-from-a-chp\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T10:10:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T09:10:34","slug":"what-is-a-renewable-energy-community-rec-and-how-is-it-different-from-a-chp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fotovol.com\/en\/renewable-energy\/what-is-a-renewable-energy-community-rec-and-how-is-it-different-from-a-chp\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Renewable Energy Community (REC) and how is it different from a CHP?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>nergy communities<\/strong> are a key player in the <strong>transition to a sustainable, decentralized and participatory energy model<\/strong>. Thanks to the European Union&#8217;s <em>Clean Energy Package<\/em>, legal frameworks have been created that allow citizens, SMEs and municipalities to become protagonists in the energy transition. <\/p>\n\n<p>Within this framework, there are two main figures:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) (<\/strong> EU Directive 2018\/2001).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Citizen Energy Communities (CEMs) (<\/strong> EU Directive 2019\/944).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>Although both share a common objective &#8211; to promote clean energy and citizen participation &#8211; they have <strong>key differences in their scope and mode of operation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>In this article we will see what an <strong>ERC<\/strong> is, its main characteristics, how it differs from a <strong>PPA<\/strong> and practical examples in Spain.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is-a-renewable-energy-community-rec\">What is a Renewable Energy Community (REC)?<\/h2>\n\n<p>A <strong>Renewable Energy Community (REC)<\/strong> is a legal entity made up of <strong>individuals, SMEs or local authorities<\/strong> that associate in an <strong>open and voluntary<\/strong> manner to develop <strong>renewable energy<\/strong> projects <strong>of proximity<\/strong> (photovoltaic, wind, biomass, etc.).<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"main-characteristics-of-recs\">Main characteristics of RECs<\/h3>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Open and voluntary participation<\/strong>: any citizen or local SME can join.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Democratic control<\/strong>: decisions are made by community members.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Territorial proximity<\/strong>: the facilities must be close to the members or the municipality.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Focus on local benefits<\/strong>: they do not seek financial benefits, but rather <strong>positive environmental, social and economic impact<\/strong> for the community.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"objectives-of-recs\">Objectives of RECs<\/h3>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Promote the <strong>energy transition<\/strong> by reducing emissions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Democratize access to energy: citizens cease to be only consumers and become <strong>prosumers<\/strong> (producers and consumers).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Generate <strong>economic savings<\/strong> in the electric bill.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strengthen local development with sustainable projects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>Example: a neighborhood cooperative installs solar panels on the roof of a municipal sports center to supply 50 families in the municipality.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"differences-between-cer-and-scc\">Differences between CER and SCC<\/h2>\n\n<p>Although they share a community and sustainable spirit, there are important differences:<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Appearance<\/th><th>CER<\/th><th>CCE<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Regulations<\/strong><\/td><td>EU Directive 2018\/2001 (Renewables)<\/td><td>EU Directive 2019\/944 (Electricity)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Scope<\/strong><\/td><td>Renewable energies only (solar, wind, biomass&#8230;)<\/td><td>Broader: generation, consumption, storage, sale of electricity<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Participants<\/strong><\/td><td>Individuals, SMEs and local authorities nearby<\/td><td>Individuals, SMEs, municipalities and small companies<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Proximity<\/strong><\/td><td>Yes, the projects must be close to the members.<\/td><td>Territorial proximity is not always required<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Purpose<\/strong><\/td><td>Local impact (social, environmental, economic)<\/td><td>Social, environmental and economic impact, but with more flexibility of scope<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 Bottom line:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>One <strong>REC<\/strong> is <strong>local and focused on renewables<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <strong>PPA<\/strong> is <strong>broader and more flexible<\/strong>, with a range of energy activities beyond renewables.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cer-and-scc-regulations-in-spain\">CER and SCC regulations in Spain<\/h2>\n\n<p>Spain is adapting European directives to its <a href=\"https:\/\/fotovol.com\/en\/regulations-grants\/energy-communities-regulations\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"13845\">legislation on Energy Communities<\/a>. These are the main milestones: <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>RD 244\/2019<\/strong> \u2192 regulates <strong>shared self-consumption<\/strong> (basis of many RECs).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>RD-Law 23\/2020<\/strong> \u2192 introduces the figure of RECs in the Electricity Sector Law.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>RD-Law 20\/2022<\/strong> \u2192 extends the maximum distance between installation and consumers to <strong>2 km.<\/strong> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>RD-Law 5\/2023<\/strong> \u2192 incorporates the definition of <strong>PPA<\/strong> into Spanish regulations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Order TED\/1446\/2021 and TED\/764\/2024<\/strong> \u2192 CE Implementa aid bases for pilot projects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>This means that there is already a legal framework for <strong>neighbors, SMEs and municipalities to create their own energy communities<\/strong> with legal certainty and institutional support.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"examples-of-recs-and-ppas-in-spain\">Examples of RECs and PPAs in Spain<\/h2>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>CER (Renewable Energy Communities):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Sant Miquel de Campmajor (Girona)<\/em>: 3.5 kWp photovoltaic installation for residents and municipal facilities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Tossa de Mar<\/em>: community with 4.3 kWp supplying public buildings and local homes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>CCE (Citizen Energy Communities):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Barcelona Energ\u00eda<\/em>: municipal public company that allows citizens to consume 100% renewable electricity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Pamplona<\/em>: pilot projects combining self-consumption, storage and shared electric mobility.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"advantages-of-recs\">Advantages of RECs<\/h2>\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Economic savings<\/strong>: direct reduction in the electricity bill.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Environmental impact<\/strong>: less CO\u2082 and dependence on fossil fuels.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social impact<\/strong>: democratization of access to energy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Local development<\/strong>: benefits reinvested in the community.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"future-of-recs-and-sccs-in-spain\">Future of RECs and SCCs in Spain<\/h2>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Accelerated growth is expected thanks to programs such as <strong>CE Implementa<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Municipalities will play a central role as drivers of local energy communities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The development of <strong>battery storage and smart grids<\/strong> will allow for greater flexibility and stability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p><strong>Renewable Energy Communities (RECs)<\/strong> are a fundamental tool for empowering citizens and accelerating the energy transition. Their local, participatory and renewables-focused character differentiates them from <strong>Citizen Energy Communities (CECs)<\/strong>, which offer a broader and more flexible framework. <\/p>\n\n<p>If you want to know how to create a <strong>CER or CCE<\/strong> in your municipality, please consult our service of <a href=\"https:\/\/fotovol.com\/en\/our-services\/energy-communities\/\"><strong>installation of energy communities<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Renewable Energy Community (REC) promotes local clean energy projects with social and environmental benefits. Find out how they differ from RECs. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":13869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[104],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-renewable-energy"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fotovol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fotovol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fotovol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fotovol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fotovol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13868"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fotovol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13868\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17842,"href":"https:\/\/fotovol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13868\/revisions\/17842"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fotovol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fotovol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fotovol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fotovol.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}