Legal measures to aid profitability for energy communities and their participants

Energy communities, as recently introduced by the European Union's 'Clean Energy for All Europeans Package' need to be transformed into the national laws of the member states until Mid of 2021. By integrating local energy producers and consumers, they aim for an improvement of energy efficiency, increasing integration of renewable energy sources, and a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions on a local level. Individuals will be enabled to take over an active part in the energy transition. While a number of remaining open issues were identified, this paper especially deals with profitability aspects for local energy producers and consumers, as well as for the community itself. As this topic will have a significant impact on the participation, the applicability and acceptance of energy communities will also be affected.