Implementation Analysis of the Energy Communities – Key Findings

Deliverable D5.2

Deliverable D5.2 marks an important transition within POWER-E-COM: from planning Energy Community roadmaps to actively supporting and monitoring their implementation.

The document provides an intermediate implementation analysis of pilot Renewable and Citizen Energy Communities (RECs and CECs) across all partner countries and serves as an operational bridge between roadmap design (Task 5.1) and implementation & monitoring (Tasks 5.2 and 5.3).

Objective of Deliverable 5.2

The main objective of D5.2 is to:

Translate Energy Community roadmaps into concrete implementation actions
Document country-specific implementation follow-up
Structure stakeholder validation processes
Align implementation steps with monitoring requirements
Establish a consistent framework for tracking progress

Rather than repeating analytical work from Deliverable D5.1, this report focuses on how roadmap results are actively used to guide implementation on the ground.

From Roadmaps to Implementation

Under Task 5.1, all partner countries developed pilot or thematic Energy Community implementation roadmaps using a common Canvas-based methodology.

D5.2 demonstrates that these roadmaps are not static planning tools, but living implementation instruments.

Key insights include:

Energy Communities are at different maturity levels – from early organisational setup to already operational systems.
Implementation must be tailored to national contexts and regulatory environments.
Roadmaps require continuous updates as financing, legal conditions and stakeholder engagement evolve.

The focus has shifted from designing roadmaps to executing and validating them through practical follow-up actions.

Cross-Cutting Implementation Needs

Across all partner countries, several common implementation needs were identified:

Structured stakeholder engagement
Continuous involvement of citizens, municipalities and local actors is essential for governance validation and long-term participation.
Regulatory and administrative alignment
Permitting, grid connection and contractual procedures must be sequenced carefully to avoid delays.
Financing preparation
Investment models must be aligned with public support schemes and local financial capacities.
Monitoring and performance tracking
Clear milestones and harmonised KPIs are required to compare implementation progress across pilots.

These needs directly inform the activities carried out under Tasks 5.2 (stakeholder workshops) and 5.3 (monitoring framework).

Country-Level Implementation Follow-Up

The deliverable provides a detailed overview of implementation progress in each partner country:

Spain focuses on stakeholder validation and confirmation of governance and financing structures before technical deployment.
Slovenia works closely with municipalities to phase implementation steps and align financing with national support schemes.
Germany concentrates on optimisation and scaling of already operational Energy Communities, particularly in district heating.
Austria addresses thematic implementation topics such as energy storage integration and networking of existing communities.
Bulgaria advances a municipality-led photovoltaic pilot based on a crowdfunding model, moving towards concrete technical realisation.
Ireland emphasises regulatory clarification, capacity building and learning-oriented pilot development.

This differentiated approach reflects the varying maturity levels and regulatory contexts across Europe.

Linking Implementation and Monitoring

A key added value of D5.2 is the structured linkage between:

Roadmap design (Task 5.1)
Stakeholder workshops (Task 5.2)
Monitoring and implementation diaries (Task 5.3)

The deliverable introduces a monitoring logic covering:

Energy data (generation, self-consumption)
Economic data (investment volumes, cost savings)
Social data (participants, vulnerable households)
Environmental data (CO₂ reductions)
Implementation status (milestones achieved, delays encountered)

This structured data collection enables systematic comparison, identification of bottlenecks and extraction of transferable lessons.

Key Takeaways

Energy Community implementation requires flexible, adaptive planning.
Stakeholder validation is essential before moving to full deployment.
Monitoring must be embedded early to ensure comparability and learning.
Implementation speeds differ significantly depending on national frameworks.
A roadmap-based approach provides a scalable model for replication.

Deliverable D5.2 strengthens the practical implementation capacity of POWER-E-COM and lays the foundation for replication and upscaling beyond the initial pilots.

About Deliverable D5.2

Project: EmPOWERing Renewable and Citizen Energy Communities (POWER-E-COM)
Grant Agreement: No. 101120998
Work Package: WP5 – LECs Business Models Implementation
Responsible Partner: ENERGAP
Delivery Date: 31 January 2026
Status: Public Deliverable

The full deliverable is available for download here:

Deliverable D5.2 – Implementation Analysis of the ECs Download

POWER-E-COM is co-funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101120998. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA.