An experimentation on the limits and potential of Renewable Energy Communities in the built city: buildings and proximity open spaces for energy decentralization

Energy Transition commonly refers to changes during the time of a specific geographical unit, but rarely considers changes in the spatial organization of the energy system and how urban area, place and scale can shape it. Considering the geographies of a low-carbon energy transition means not only understanding and mapping the consequences of the policies implemented in a place, but also assuming some significant implications, such as the spatial differences of places and the interactions that take place within them at different scales, thus activating creative processes of change.

In this context, the paper explores the potentialities and limitations of decentralized energy production systems in urban environments. With the aim of implementing climate mitigation actions, it analyzes how the structure and the spatial organization of some different built-up urban districts in Rome can affect the configuration and the sizing of a decentralized renewable energy production system.

The results of the first analysis in the pilot cases of Testaccio, Balduina and Prima Porta show the impact of scale difference on the configuration of Renewable Energy Communities. Investigating how the organization of the built-up urban districts can influence the decentralized energy system, the paper highlights not only the supply of renewable energy but also the balance between demand and supply of energy for different local uses and the reciprocal role between buildings and proximity open spaces could have a key role in the urban energy transition process. Inevitably, this balancing act will depend on the specific characteristics of the urban patterns and, therefore, each urban landscape will condition the organization of the energy system.