Section outline

  • Beyond sharing for self-consumption, RECs can adopt various strategies to valorize the energy produced, interacting directly with the electricity market. Cruz-De-Jesús et al. (2024) highlight several successful operational approaches in Europe:

    • Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Market Platforms: In some pilot projects, such as in Eemnes, Netherlands, RECs use platforms (often blockchain-based) to trade energy directly between members at an agreed price. Although still experimental in many countries, this model maximizes the local value of energy.
    • Sale to Suppliers and Energy Cooperatives: Many RECs, especially in countries with a strong cooperative tradition like France and Germany, sell their surplus energy to larger suppliers, often second-level cooperatives such as Enercoop in France. This cooperative buys energy from hundreds of citizen projects and resells it to its members, creating a sustainable and solidaristic energy ecosystem (Boulanger et al., 2021).
    • Provision of Flexibility Services: RECs, by aggregating their members’ resources (batteries, electric vehicles, flexible loads), can offer services to the grid (e.g., balancing, peak load reduction). This is an evolving frontier that requires advanced digital platforms for the management and aggregation of these resources (Rodrigues et al., 2025).

    Main source for this section: Cruz-De-Jesús, E.; Marano-Marcolini, A.; Martínez-Ramos, J.L. (2024). Participation of Energy Communities in Electricity Markets and Ancillary Services: An Overview of Successful Strategies. Energies.