Dena tested energy sharing in Wunsiedel

30.04.2025

Source: E & M powernews

A new guide from the German Energy Agency (Dena) for local authorities and other energy stakeholders contains experiences with energy sharing. It evaluates a pilot project in Wunsiedel.

In the ESC digital project of the Future Energy Lab, the German Energy Agency (Dena) has investigated how Energy Sharing Communities (ESC) can be implemented under the current legal framework. Energy sharing is already possible in Germany, but actors without energy industry knowledge are hardly in a position to implement this without experienced and established partners. However, it is considered an important instrument for coordinating electricity generation and consumption locally and thus relieving the burden on the electricity grids.

The guidelines are based on the experience of a pilot project in Wunsiedel (Bavaria). It focuses on an implementation variant in which producers and consumers work closely together with a central service provider (energy supplier). In Wunsiedel, the local municipal utility, SWW Wunsiedel, has taken on this role. The municipal utility's networking and energy industry experience make it a suitable partner for energy sharing communities. "However, further regulatory adjustments and simplifications are needed to open up the possibilities of energy sharing to even more citizens," says Dena Managing Director Corinna Enders.

EU directive provides for energy sharing

In the Electricity Market Directive (EEMD), the EU expressly stipulates that energy sharing should also be open to other stakeholder groups such as citizen energy cooperatives or civil society organizations. The directive obliges the German legislator to enable energy sharing with simplified supplier obligations from mid-2026 at the latest. According to Dena, a simple process must be created for citizens in particular.

Based on practical experience from the Energy Sharing Community (ESC) in Wunsiedel "WUNergy", the Dena guidelines explain in four steps how an ESC can be implemented. However, even with these regulatory adjustments, efficient information technology and professional service providers are required to set up and operate a community of producers and consumers. The guide takes you through all the topics that are important on the way to ESC and that also apply to implementation without a central supplier.

The introduction of energy sharing communities in Germany is being discussed and tested as part of Dena's "ESCdigital" project on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK). The project is an integral part of Dena's Future Energy Lab, which was launched in 2020. In addition to the theoretical investigation and regulatory assessment, the Future Energy Lab is also concerned with the practical testing of digital solutions.

The Dena guide to energy sharing is available to download as a PDF.

Author: Susanne Harmsen