Summary
Details
- Greece
Binding for energy communities wishing to operate legally.
They must:
Register as cooperatives with specific governance rules.
Demonstrate local ownership and participation under defined criteria.
Comply with licensing, metering, grid-connection and RES support rules.
Maintain transparency in financial and environmental reporting.
Very small self-consumption projects may be exempt from certain licensing procedures.
Non-profit models have different tax and administrative requirements.
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What’s Required
Law 4513/2018 establishes Energy Communities as special-purpose civil cooperatives operating under defined governance, membership, and activity rules. Entities wishing to operate as Energy Communities must comply with structural, operational, and licensing obligations.
1. Legal Formation and Governance Structure
Energy Communities must be established as civil cooperatives under Greek law with the exclusive purpose of promoting social economy and energy sustainability.
Key governance requirements include:
Minimum number of founding members, depending on structure.
Statutes defining cooperative governance.
Democratic governance principle (“one member – one vote”).
Registration in the General Commercial Registry (GEMI).
Membership categories may include:
Natural persons.
Local authorities (municipalities or regions).
Small and medium enterprises.
Agricultural cooperatives.
Legal entities participating in local energy projects.
Communities must demonstrate local participation, particularly when municipalities are involved.
2. Permitted Energy Activities
Energy Communities may engage in a wide range of energy-related activities, including:
Production of electricity from renewable energy sources.
Self-consumption and virtual net-metering.
Energy supply and aggregation services.
Energy storage.
Energy efficiency projects.
Management of district heating and cooling networks.
Charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
Energy poverty mitigation initiatives.
The law, therefore, allows communities to operate across several segments of the electricity value chain.
3. Licensing and Regulatory Compliance
Energy Communities must comply with the broader Greek electricity regulatory framework, including:
Licensing from the Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE), where applicable.
Grid connection approvals from the transmission or distribution system operator.
Environmental permitting for renewable installations.
Compliance with national electricity market rules.
Small renewable installations under certain capacity thresholds may benefit from simplified licensing procedures.
4. Renewable Energy Production and Self-Consumption
A core element of the law is enabling collective renewable energy projects.
Energy Communities may develop renewable generation assets such as:
Solar photovoltaic installations.
Wind projects.
Biomass or biogas facilities.
Small hydroelectric plants.
Members may consume electricity produced by community projects through net-metering or virtual net-metering mechanisms, allowing energy produced at one site to offset consumption elsewhere.
5. Financial and Economic Participation Rules
Members may invest capital in Energy Communities, but ownership concentration is restricted.
Rules typically include:
Limits on individual ownership shares.
Provisions ensuring community-oriented governance.
Allocation of economic benefits among members.
Communities may access:
national renewable energy support mechanisms.
EU structural funds.
preferential financing schemes for community energy projects.
6. Social and Environmental Objectives
Law 4513/2018 explicitly integrates social economy objectives, including:
promotion of energy democracy.
local economic development.
reduction of energy poverty.
participation of municipalities and local stakeholders.
Energy Communities must align their operations with these public-interest goals.
Important Deadlines
Law adopted: January 2018
Entry into force: January 2018 upon publication in the Government Gazette
Subsequent amendments and regulatory decisions have refined licensing procedures and interaction with electricity market reforms.
Projects must comply with general energy licensing timelines under Greek electricity law.
Current Status
Law 4513/2018 remains the foundational legal framework for Energy Communities in Greece.
However, later legislation and regulatory reforms have adjusted aspects of the framework to align with:
EU Clean Energy Package provisions.
renewable energy market reforms.
evolving electricity market design.
Energy Communities continue to operate within the Greek renewable energy sector.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Non-compliance may result in:
revocation of Energy Community status.
administrative sanctions under the electricity market regulation.
suspension of operational licenses.
financial penalties for regulatory violations.
Failure to comply with cooperative governance rules may also trigger dissolution procedures.
Examples of Known Violations
Common compliance challenges include:
governance conflicts among cooperative members.
failure to maintain the required membership structure.
licensing violations for renewable energy installations.
improper allocation of cooperative benefits.
delays in regulatory approvals or grid connections.
Resources
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