Energy communities and cooperative models are becoming stronger in Catalonia, helping to advance the energy transition and better prepare the system for global crises.
Initiatives in Osona and Lluçanès, involving around 30 projects and thousands of families, have created a model that has spread across the region through Osona Energia. At a municipal level, Caldes de Montbui generates 15% of its energy consumption through a public energy community. Cooperatives like Som Energia, with over 87,000 members, say a renewable future is essential. More than 100 energy communities have registered on the Generalitat's website to increase participation in these projects.
Osona and Lluçanès Lead the Way
Osona and Lluçanès were among the first regions to create energy communities, now hosting around 30. The first were established in 2021 in Hostalets de Balenyà (Balenyà Sostenible) and Sant Pere de Torelló (Cooperativa Santperenca d'Energia Sostenible). The energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine and the resulting geopolitical uncertainty sped up the creation of many new communities.
The creation of Osona Energia, a second-degree cooperative, marked a significant step forward. It offers advice to all energy communities in the region. Osona Energia quickly expanded its reach across Catalonia and now supports about 50 communities, from Ribera d'Ebre to the Pyrenees and Garrotxa.
Gil Salvans, technical manager of the Osona Local Energy Agency (Aleo), a public body under the Osona Regional Council, explained that an early decision was to establish a single model to be replicated elsewhere. Residents in each village wishing to participate create a non-profit entity, while Osona Energia provides professional services to these communities. Currently, 2,000 families in Osona and Lluçanès are connected to the network, with a goal to double this number in the coming years. Salvans noted that many photovoltaic self-consumption systems are in place but are not yet distributing energy.
Future plans include ensuring families see these savings on their bills. Another goal is diversification. Salvans said: "The energy transition is not just about self-consumption, it also includes electric vehicles, shared vehicles, energy rehabilitation, and the electrification of thermal consumption."
Salvans believes energy communities would play a role in the event of a new blackout. He stated: "The territory must be able to generate its own energy and even store it in batteries." He added that these community-driven projects will make the electrical system "stronger and more resilient."
Endesa data from the end of March shows 141,633 supply points with self-consumption, with 125,259 individual and 16,374 collective. This means about 11.5% of self-consumption systems are shared, showing the growing trend of this model linked to energy communities, although this only covers customers connected to Endesa's network.
Caldes de Montbui's Municipal Strategy
Last year, the Generalitat launched the platform Comunitatenergetica.cat to help create and participate in these initiatives across the region. The voluntary registration portal allows users to find projects and identify those open to new members. There are currently 86 communities open for participation and 26 that are closed.
The website features projects similar to Caldes de Montbui's. In 2019, the municipality developed a strategy to combat climate change, leading to the creation of a public Local Energy Community (CEL). This community, with 27 photovoltaic installations, is now the largest in Catalonia.
It currently generates 15% of the energy consumed in the municipality. This year, 600 families living near the installations will be connected. These families can access one kilowatt of consumption and a corresponding discount, estimated to be around €1,500 per family over four years.
This means residents experience savings as if they had solar panels on their own homes, even though the panels are on public building roofs, such as schools or libraries, and industrial estates. The energy is consumed as it is received, during daylight hours, and currently lacks storage systems. Jordi Martín, Councillor for Climate Action in Caldes de Montbui, explained: "If the network goes down, as it did about a year ago, we find ourselves in the same situation as any other citizen not involved in the CEL."
Som Energia: Europe's Largest Cooperative
A year after a major blackout, the Som Energia cooperative supports the distributed and citizen-led generation model as a way to advance the energy transition. Nuri Palmada, head of new generation projects, said: "It is clear that the future is renewable, especially in countries like Catalonia and Spain with good solar resources."
The Girona-based company believes the focus should be on making renewable energy manageable through batteries and, more importantly, by changing consumption patterns.
With over 87,000 members and nearly 120,000 contracts, the cooperative plans to double its own production in the coming years. It emphasises hybridisation with batteries and adapting energy use. Palmada noted: "Many members consume when there is no sun. We need to shift demand towards hours of higher generation."
Som Energia currently operates 11 ground-mounted photovoltaic plants and several rooftop installations. Three more are under construction, with plans to add batteries, and five are in the promotion phase. Thanks to these projects and individual self-consumption by members, Som Energia currently generates about 20% of the energy consumed by its contracts.
With ongoing projects, they expect to increase generation from the current 50 GWh/year to about 90 GWh. Palmada stated: "We still have a way to go to increase this own generation, which remains our goal."
In Catalonia, where reliance on nuclear power is still high, the cooperative warns of a potential generation deficit in the coming years if the deployment of manageable renewables is not sped up. Palmada concluded: "Now it's a different approach: we have to think about renewable energy, but with batteries and demand management."
