Bringing energy communities closer: Catalonia’s ComunitatEnergetica.cat platform

Energy communities are central to Europe’s shift toward a cleaner, more sustainable and participatory energy model. They empower citizens, boost renewable energy deployment and ensure fairer local resource distribution. To support this transition, the Catalan Energy Institute (ICAEN), together with the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC) and non-profit cooperative Cíclica, has developed ComunitatEnergetica.cat, a platform that removes entry barriers and accelerates citizen‑led renewable projects.

A user‑centred platform connecting people, projects and resources

Promoted and financed by ICAEN, which defines the platform’s strategic objectives, supervises the information published and promotes engagement across the ecosystem, ComunitatEnergetica.cat was launched in 2025 to supports citizens, businesses and public authorities in joining existing energy communities or creating new ones. It offers three core functionalities:

1. Discover existing energy communities

Users can explore initiatives across Catalonia, classified as open (accepting new members) or closed. This helps citizens identify nearby projects and allows promoters to reach potential participants.

2. Simulate new energy communities

The simulation tool estimates rooftop photovoltaic potential and models how communities could be formed within the 2 kilometres‑kilometre regulatory radius. It combines producers and consumers to estimate how energy could be shared, guides early feasibility assessments and helps users understand their rooftop’s potential. The tool maximises usable surfaces, sometimes doubling generation capacity compared to traditional approaches, and highlights shaded areas that may limit performance.

3. Connect with relevant stakeholders

Users can access a network of installers, legal and technical advisors and public administrations to obtain the resources needed to establish an energy community.

ComunitatEnergetica.cat is designed to be adaptable to different regulatory and territorial contexts. To date, 82 energy communities and 128 supporting stakeholders have registered on the platform.

Accelerating uptake: lessons learned and pathways for replication

Experience shows that many energy communities need direct follow‑up and support to publish and maintain their information on the platform; training, communication and dissemination activities alone are often not enough to ensure long‑term engagement. To address this, the public administration is promoting an official registry of energy communities that will also act as an access point to public support schemes and funding, helping to improve data availability and visibility.

Reaching end users is another challenge. While initial dissemination through traditional media was useful at launch, maintaining visibility over time requires more local and direct communication channels. In practice, energy communities in Spain mainly attract members through proximity‑based networks, often within a geographical radius of around two kilometres.

For territories looking to replicate the model, it is important to build a strong participation network that brings together cooperatives and regional and local public administrations. It is equally important to consider the coexistence of privately developed platforms, often publicly funded but commercially oriented. When multiple registries operate in parallel, information can become fragmented and harder for citizens and energy communities to navigate. For this reason, a public platform should focus on core information and visibility functions, leaving operational and day‑to‑day management services to private‑sector tools.

This best practice is extracted from our publication ‘Sustainable Regions in Action‘. Discover more best practices here!