The city of Genk (Limburg province) is set to become the first local authority to establish an energy community that allows residents, associations and businesses to share locally generated renewable energy directly with one another.
The city has appointed EnergySwap to develop the scheme, which will enable people in Genk both with and without solar panels to exchange electricity produced locally.
The principle is straightforward. Anyone with solar panels who has surplus renewable energy at a given moment will be able to sell it to someone who needs extra power at that same time, at a pre-agreed price.
That price will be higher than the rate residents usually receive for solar energy fed into the grid. At the same time, it will be lower than the price normally paid for electricity bought from a supplier.
This means both the seller and the buyer can benefit financially. The scheme is also intended to involve residents and local businesses more closely in the energy transition.
“With this energy community, we are making local energy something everyone can take part in,” said Karel Kriekemans of CD&V, Genk’s councillor for sustainability.
“Those with solar panels can share their surplus with another resident of Genk. But people without solar panels will also be able to use locally generated energy. In this way, we make the energy transition tangible and ensure that as much of the return from our local energy as possible stays in Genk.”
The energy community will be set up as a co-operative company. Anyone wishing to take part will be able to register through a website.
The city plans to support the energy community for up to three years. During that period, the system is expected to grow and attract enough participants to operate independently afterwards, with the possibility of expanding beyond Genk.
