Unlocking the potential of community-based energy sharing
An advanced digital tool called the RECreation platform has been built to empower renewable energy communities (RECs) by helping them boost collective self-consumption and local flexibility. Initially developed by the Portuguese national project DigitalCer and significantly improved under the EU-funded BeFlexible(opens in new window) project, the platform could play an important role in helping Europe meet its decarbonisation goals. BeFlexible was given the opportunity to present the platform at a webinar(opens in new window) hosted by the International Smart Grid Action Network in June 2025. The session explored the tool’s ability to integrate with local energy systems and facilitate a more resilient, democratic and interoperable energy system across Europe. As a recent BeFlexible article(opens in new window) explains, “RECreation is not just another energy management tool.” The article goes on to explain: “It is a strategic enabler designed to unlock the potential of community-based energy sharing, reduce dependence on centralized grids, and ensure that even small consumers and prosumers can participate in flexibility markets.” The ultimate goal is to enable collective self-consumption flexibility by making energy sharing transparent, traceable and fair.
The BeFlexible boost
Since being taken under the wing of the BeFlexible project, the platform has undergone various improvements. It is now able to support advanced energy services. It also integrates with the Grid Data and Business Network, a digital platform designed to support the efficient operation of smart grids by engaging diverse flexibility stakeholders including consumers, service providers, aggregators and distribution system operators (DSOs). RECreation has further become commercially viable and digitally mature – a fact highlighted by its availability on the SAP Store. RECreation’s impactful features give small consumers and prosumers the tools they need to become active energy market participants. These include dynamic allocation of shared energy and full transparency in transactions made possible through tracking mechanisms for both energy flows and settlements. Other features are its compatibility with DSOs, which ensures grid stability, and support for local pricing models and flexibility trading so that communities can respond to grid needs and receive compensation accordingly. “This is not just about technology—it’s about social innovation,” the article states. “Flexibility is no longer reserved for large-scale industrial players. Platforms like RECreation ensure that citizens and communities can actively shape the energy system, respond to market signals, and benefit from their own energy production.” The webinar included a live demo of the platform’s design and user-friendly features. These include dashboards displaying real-time energy flows and modules facilitating flexibility trading and user governance. The platform will be deployed in BeFlexible’s 11 pilots underway in Spain, France, Italy and Sweden. “Collective self-consumption flexibility is not a niche—it’s a necessary component of a distributed, digital, and democratic energy future,” the BeFlexible (BOOSTING ENGAGEMENT TO INCREASE FLEXIBILITY) article points out. As enablers of such a future, platforms such as RECreation will become vital tools to help Europe meet its European Green Deal objectives and smooth its path to decarbonisation. For more information, please see: BeFlexible project website(opens in new window)
