Complex systems are characterized, among other things, by forming an integrated set of systems, in which all coexist in a dynamic equilibrium. In these systems, all parts are connected and maintain a continuous exchange of information, matter and energy. Another characteristic is the distributed management among all its elements, which, as opposed to the vertical or hierarchical management characteristic of most artificially generated systems, means that they maintain themselves, always at a point of dynamic equilibrium.
What does energy production management have to do with a complex system? If we put as a scenario a region or a certain region, there is no doubt that the economic system that dominates it is intertwined with the social system it hosts, as well as with its technological-industrial fabric, and all this together with its orographic characteristics, natural resources and, finally, the development of infrastructures. All of these are different aspects of the same reality of the complex system that characterizes the observed region.
Jeremy Riftkin, in his book "The Third Industrial Revolution", links economic, sociological and technical concepts to focus on a story in which renewable energies, internet communications and the conversion of buildings into micro power plants will create a lateral, organic power with regulatory impact on local systems?
In this context, energy communities are built contemplating local energy self-consumption, i.e. energy production created in the same place where it is consumed, although this production may be for individual or collective use. This idea has been given a legal identity, formed by members, who can cooperatively establish objectives for obtaining energy, which can be for the consumption of the cooperative itself, or for third parties.
These are the main benefits and advantages of energy communities both for their members and for society in general:
Although energy communities are increasingly being created in Spain, the "Vauban" community in Freiburg, Germany, is worth mentioning. In this town of around 230,000 inhabitants, according to official data, CO2 generation has been reduced by 20% since the 1990s, and the aim is to reduce it by 50% by 2030. Freiburg is also a wealthy city with a GDP per capita that is around 10% higher than the European average.
Therefore, are energy communities conducive to the organic and, above all, sustainable management and development of the local and regional systems in which they are located?
In order to try to answer the question, it is necessary to introduce the concept of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS). Complex systems tend to be managed through cross-cutting relationships of autonomous and distributed elements. On the other hand, complex systems in nature tend, in this way, to reach a dynamic equilibrium point that they always maintain efficiently, adapting naturally to all their possible evolutions.
So, BNS can be considered as a "tool" concept that includes a number of different approaches, all of them based on the natural adaptation of ecosystems. These approaches, which are born from different disciplines, share the same interest in using ecosystem functions to solve the problems we face, as for example in the case of this article: energy production, management and consumption in more or less extensive areas, reducing CO2 emissions compared to conventional solutions, as well as helping economic and social progress, within a sustainable framework and naturally controlled evolution.
Energy communities are proving to be a powerful tool for change, driving the transition to renewable energy sources and sustainable practices locally as well as globally. By fostering local economies, saving energy costs and promoting community resilience, these communities are setting new standards for energy management and consumption.
This transversal and distributed model not only improves sustainability and energy efficiency, but also strengthens the social and economic fabric of communities.