Cultural Heritage and Energy Communities: critical issues and opportunities

The proposed decree of the Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) encourages spreading self-consumption forms of energy from renewable sources, including Renewable Energy Communities (RECs). The paper proposes a mapping of the CERs already active in Italy, considerations on the main barriers that, at a national and international level, have hindered their diffusion, dwelling on the problems of compatibility in safeguarded and protected areas. Recalling projects and guidelines for installing photovoltaics in sensitive contexts, a first approach for a new CER in a UNESCO site is proposed as an opportunity to directly involve the Ministry of Culture as an actor in the energy transition processes.