Addressing the gaps in understanding and assessing energy communities

Since their explicit mention in the recast of the European Renewable Energy Directive (Directive 2018/2001) and the Internal Electricity Market Directive (Directive 2019/944), energy communities in Europe are gaining increased attention. Nevertheless, despite the increasing literature coverage, their true functioning and needs as well as more technical elements such as their meticulous mapping and an all-encompassing definition of their performance are aspects that still need to be studied, highlighting the complexity of assessing them comprehensively. In this paper, we discuss the various elements that are needed for a proper understanding of energy communities as ever increasingly multifaceted energy actors and try to touch upon various contextual parameters in order to end up with a better understanding of their complexity. In particular, we discuss the need to review the historical and socio-cultural context in which energy communities emerge, the assumed benefits (e.g. inclusion, energy democracy and energy justice) and whether they are justified in practice, as well as the need to thoroughly map them. We conclude with recommendations on how to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of energy communities.