Solidarity Energy Communities: Sharing Energy project launched in Southern Italy

Through its Sharing Energy project, Intesa Sanpaolo is supporting the Solidarity Energy Communities promoted by the voluntary sector, which represent new forms of alliance for generating and distributing low-cost, renewable energy to participating community members: a tool for combating growing energy poverty and for economic and social inclusion, implemented according to criteria of fairness and transparency.

In particular, Intesa Sanpaolo presented two energy communities designed together with Fondazione di Comunità San Gennaro in Naples and Fondazione di Comunità di Messina: the projects enabled the generation and sharing of renewable energy and the free distribution of surpluses to fragile people.

The two projects in more detail:

• Comunità San Gennaro, Naples Rione Sanità neighbourhood: built together with the Fondazione di Comunità San Gennaro in one of Naples’ most iconic neighbourhoods, it now provides the local community with clean, affordable power using local resources and generation networks within the Foundation and the neighbourhood.
• Messina Energy Community: in the Messina area, diffuse photovoltaic installations have been set up, creating microgrids for the benefit of people and families in fragile situations, through processes of sharing the energy produced. 

Energy communities are associations of local public bodies, voluntary organisations, companies, businesses or private citizens that choose to set up infrastructure for generating energy from renewable sources for their own use through a model based on sharing.

As collaborative forms centred on a local exchange system, energy communities foster sustainable development and reduce dependence on the national power grid, while also stimulating the emergence of new circular socio-economic models.