Pianificare le Comunità energetiche per il rilancio delle aree interne

Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) are a promising instrument for decarbonizing metropolitan areas and reduce energy poverty, as well as increasing the use of energy from renewable sources. Furthermore, RECs are considered strategic against the demographic desertification of inner areas, both in Europe and in Italy. This contribution is part of a larger research program, which recognizes a significant role for urban planning in supporting the RECs development in existing urban areas. As part of the project, the author had previously presented a methodology to identify priority areas where to address this action, according to an area-based approach. Priority areas, mapped on an infra-urban scale, are intended to be located where a minimization of the constraints and a maximization of the benefits deriving from the RECs establishment are expected, with a focus on reducing energy poverty. The proposed model has already been applied to a municipality belonging to the populous conurbation of Agro-Nocerino-Sarnese, in the Campania Region (Italy). The specific objective of this work is to evaluate the transferability of the methodological path mentioned above to the territorial context of inner areas. For this purpose, the model is applied to the small town of Andretta, located in the heart of the Campanian Apennines and inhabited by just under two thousand inhabitants. The results show some similarities, but also elements of divergence with respect to the experimentation already carried out for the first area of application. This made it possible to partially redefine the proposed methodological path, improving its transferability and its ability to support urban planning processes in different territorial and socio-economic contexts.