Tools and sources
Resources. Questions, definitions, sources.
Frequently asked questions, a glossary, an indicative calculator and the official sources on Italian renewable energy communities (CER), self-consumption and power purchase agreements (PPA).
They are for people assessing a project who want to read the rules in the primary sources: every answer and every definition gives the document, its date and the date of the check.
At a glance
- Questions
- 33
- Glossary entries
- 44
- Official sources
- 36
- Sources checked
FAQ
Recurring questions, answered up front.
Three groups of questions. Each answer opens with two lines that answer the question and closes with the primary sources.
Energy communities
What a CER is, who can join, shared energy, the premium tariff (TIP), the referent, the PNRR grant.
Self-consumption
The forms the law provides for, a third party's plant, remote self-consumption, groups of self-consumers, dedicated withdrawal.
PPAs
Definition, physical and virtual PPAs, price structures, guarantees of origin, Italian and European public instruments.
Glossary
The terms, defined from the sources.
44 entries in alphabetical order. Each definition gives its primary source and points to related entries and to the questions where the term comes up.
Entries to start from
Calculator
Indicative CER incentive calculator.
It estimates the order of magnitude of the benefit the GSE grants in one year on the energy shared by a PV plant up to 1 MW in an energy community: premium tariff and valorisation contribution, net of the fee covering GSE costs. The result is always a range.
What it does not calculate
Revenue from selling the energy, the cost of the plant and taxes; it does not project the result onto later years. It is neither an offer nor advice.
CER-Ops simulator
For members of an energy community, or people considering joining one, there is also the public CER-Ops simulator at cerops.altheon.it. CER-Ops is a separate product, in its launch phase, with invitation-only access.
Official sources
Official sources, by topic.
The laws, operating rules, resolutions and data behind the answers and definitions on these pages. For each document: publisher, title, date and a link to the text.
All documents were verified on the source on .
Energy communities
Legislative Decree no. 199 of 8 November 2021, art. 31 (Renewable energy communities), current text (text in force since 19 April 2026)
Defines renewable energy communities: main purpose, eligible shareholders or members, control powers and the scope of sharing. Text in force since 19 April 2026.
Legislative Decree no. 199 of 8 November 2021, art. 8 (Rules on incentives for energy sharing)
Governs incentives for energy sharing: renewable plants of no more than 1 MW are eligible.
MASE Ministerial Decree no. 414 of 7 December 2023 (CACER Decree), signed text
CACER Decree: premium tariff on shared energy for 20 years, eligibility requirements and combination with capital grants; the tariff is available until 5 GW of incentivised capacity is reached and in any case no later than 31 December 2027.
Amends Ministerial Decree 414/2023: extends the PNRR grant to municipalities under 50,000 inhabitants, raises the advance to 30% and adds natural persons to the exemptions from reduction factor F.
GSE operating rules for access to the distributed self-consumption service and the PNRR grant, version of 16 July 2025: configuration requirements, referent, hourly tariff calculation, advances and true-ups.
Operating rules for capital grants (Facility CACER, PNRR M2C2 I.1.2) under art. 27 of Decree-Law 19/2026 (27 March 2026)
Facility CACER Rules of 27 March 2026 for the GSE-managed PNRR grant under Decree-Law 19/2026: they supplement the operating rules and repeal the 30 June 2026 works-completion requirement.
Decree-Law no. 19 of 19 February 2026, art. 27 (PNRR grant programmes for renewable energy communities and collective self-consumption), current text after conversion (Law no. 50 of 20 April 2026) (text in force since 21 April 2026)
Sets up the GSE-managed PNRR grant programme for CERs and collective self-consumption, with concession agreements and entry into operation within 24 months of their notification.
«Comunità energetiche rinnovabili e gruppi di autoconsumatori in Comuni fino a 50.000 abitanti» (web page on the PNRR grant) (consulted on 2 October 2026)
GSE page on the PNRR grant in municipalities up to 50,000 inhabitants: EUR 1,041.5 million budget and applications as of 30 November 2025 (EUR 1,456 million, 3,343.8 MW).
«Corrispettivi e tariffa» (web page on fees and tariff for distributed self-consumption) (consulted on 2 October 2026)
GSE page with the table of maximum premium tariff values, management fees and payment arrangements for configurations.
Press release «GSE, online la Vetrina delle CER» (CER showcase) (published on 7 September 2026)
GSE press release of 7 September 2026: as of 31 August 2026, more than 4,800 CER configurations with active contracts or contracts being finalised, about 400 MW and more than 51,000 connection points.
Self-consumption
Legislative Decree no. 199 of 8 November 2021, art. 30 (Renewable self-consumers), current text (text in force since 29 April 2022)
Governs renewable self-consumers: on-site self-consumption, remote self-consumption through a direct line or the grid, and groups of self-consumers in the same building or condominium.
Legislative Decree no. 199 of 8 November 2021, art. 32 (Interaction with the energy system), current text (text in force since 24 January 2026)
Governs how configurations interact with the energy system: final customers' rights, withdrawal, general system charges on withdrawn energy and optional on-bill netting.
Legislative Decree no. 199 of 8 November 2021, art. 2 (Definitions), current text (text in force since 4 February 2026)
Definitions of Legislative Decree 199/2021, including self-consumer and shared energy, calculated since 24 January 2026 over periods of up to one hour.
TIAD, Integrated Text on Distributed Self-Consumption: Annex A to resolution 727/2022/R/eel, as supplemented and amended by resolution 15/2024/R/eel (version of 30 January 2024)
ARERA's Integrated Text on Distributed Self-Consumption: seven configurations, hourly calculation of shared and self-consumed energy, valorisation contribution and the referent's role.
TISSPC: Annex A to resolution 578/2013/R/eel, consolidated with amendments up to resolution 292/2025/R/eel (version of 1 July 2025)
ARERA's integrated text on simple production and consumption systems (SSPCs), including SEUs, updated up to resolution 292/2025/R/eel.
Legislative Decree no. 210 of 8 November 2021, art. 14 (Active customers and citizen energy communities), current text (text in force since 24 January 2026)
Since 24 January 2026 it governs energy sharing among active customers, with the sharing organiser and the 6 MW cap.
ARERA proceedings to implement the new rules on energy sharing and supply contracts: first phase by 31 December 2026, second by 30 June 2027.
«Tariffa per il servizio di trasmissione» (transmission tariff, operators' area) (consulted on 2 October 2026)
Annual transmission tariff values: the low-voltage variable part (TRAS_E) sets the valorisation contribution for CERs and remote self-consumers (EUR 11.90/MWh in 2026).
Resolution 78/2025/R/efr of 4 March 2025 (end of the net-metering scheme)
Provisions on the end of net metering: excluded for plants entering operation after 29 May 2025, applications by 26 September 2025.
«Ritiro dedicato» (web page on dedicated withdrawal) (consulted on 2 October 2026)
GSE page on dedicated withdrawal: selling energy fed in to the GSE instead of on the market, eligibility and compatibility.
Notice to operators: update of guaranteed minimum prices for 2026 (resolution no. 280/07) (published on 29 January 2026)
Guaranteed minimum prices for dedicated withdrawal in 2026: EUR 47.5/MWh for photovoltaics, up to 1,500,000 kWh a year.
PPAs
EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED), consolidated on 16 July 2024: defines renewables PPAs and guarantees of origin and requires Member States to remove unjustified barriers to long-term renewable energy purchase agreements.
Regulation (EU) 2019/943 on the internal market for electricity, consolidated text of 16 July 2024
Regulation on the internal electricity market, consolidated on 16 July 2024: promotion of PPAs, guarantees against payment default and, for contracts concluded from 17 July 2027, direct price support in the form of two-way contracts for difference.
Regulation (EU) 2024/1747 of 13 June 2024 on improving the Union's electricity market design
Reform of the Union's electricity market design, in force since 16 July 2024: inserts the rules on PPAs and contracts for difference into Regulation 2019/943.
Legislative Decree no. 199 of 8 November 2021, art. 28 (Long-term renewable power purchase agreements), current text (text in force since 21 February 2026)
Italian basis for long-term PPAs: GME's PPA Bulletin Board, the organised market platform and the GSE guarantee of last resort.
Guidelines to GME for the PPA Market: standardised 5- to 10-year contracts with GME as central counterparty, and conditions of the GSE guarantee of last resort.
Decree-Law no. 21 of 20 February 2026, art. 4 (long-term renewable energy contracting by businesses), current text after conversion (Law no. 49 of 10 April 2026) (text in force since 19 April 2026)
Long-term renewable energy contracting by businesses: demand-side sections of the PPA Bulletin Board, GSE guarantee on registered contracts, SACE guarantees and aggregation through Acquirente Unico.
«Bacheca PPA» (PPA Bulletin Board web page) (consulted on 2 October 2026)
GME page on the PPA Bulletin Board: sections for announcements, registration of concluded contracts and Energy Release.
Full FER X scheme, in force since 7 August 2026: two-way contracts for difference for 20 years, a 37.15 GW quota and auction priority for projects with long-term contracts of at least 10 years.
Decree-Law no. 181 of 9 December 2023, art. 1, current text (converted by Law 11/2024) (text in force since 8 February 2024)
Energy Release 2.0: advance of renewable electricity to energy-intensive companies for 36 months, returned over 20 years through new renewable capacity.
Understanding the renewables power purchase agreements market. Final report (study for the European Commission) (15 May 2026)
Study for the European Commission (DG ENER, 2026) on the renewables PPA market: definitions, contract structures, supply-demand gap to 2030 and 2035, national profiles. It reflects the authors' views.
Study prepared by external consultants for the European Commission: it reflects the authors' views, not the Commission's official position. Final report dated 15 May 2026; Publications Office catalogue entry dated 3 July 2026.
Electricity market and general data
Press release on 2025 electricity demand (311.3 TWh) (published on 21 January 2026)
Terna data for 2025: electricity consumption of 311.3 TWh, a 41% renewable share and 83,529 MW of renewable capacity installed at 31 December 2025.
Statistical data on electricity in Italy 2025, Generation section (published on 14 September 2026)
Terna 2025 statistical yearbook, Generation section: gross renewable generation of 132,329.4 GWh in 2025, by source.
Newsletter no. 199 (January 2026), 2025 annual report (published on 16 January 2026)
GME report on 2025: average PUN Index GME of EUR 115.94/MWh and average day-ahead zonal prices.
Day-ahead market (MGP) historical data, year 2025 (file Anno 2025_12_60.xlsx) (version of 9 February 2026)
Hourly day-ahead market historical data for 2025; from October to December hourly values are an ex-post statistical re-elaboration, since the market has had 15-minute granularity from 1 October 2025.
Grid Code, Annex A.24 «Individuazione zone della rete rilevante» (identification of grid zones), Rev. 05 (text in force since 1 January 2021)
Annex to Terna's Grid Code identifying the grid zones: North, Centre-North, Centre-South, South, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia.
Energy communities
Self-consumption
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