ERRA Workshop: Energy CommunitiesERRA Workshop: Energy CommunitiesERRA Workshop: Energy CommunitiesERRA Workshop: Energy Communities
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  • Outline

  • Agenda

  • Speakers

  • Registration

  • Venue

    Collective self-consumption and energy community models represent a new development in the landscape of energy transition and renewable deployment goals. These models offer innovative approaches to accelerate decentralized generation, enhancing citizen participation in making energy systems evolving towards a structure both more decentralised and more decarbonised.

    The regulatory frameworks governing these initiatives directly impact core regulatory responsibilities including tariff design, market access, consumer protection, and system planning. Regulators must adapt frameworks to accommodate prosumers’ active participation, without compromising system reliability or creating undue cross-subsidization.

    In the European Union (EU) specific rules and directives promote collective self-consumption and new players like Renewable Energy Communities; however, even outside the EU these concepts can provide benefits to networks in terms of increasing hosting capacity. Further, energy communities can be solutions for improving affordability of electricity for low-income or disadvantaged customers, as in the US with “community solar” programs, or for enlarging access to electricity, as for some donor-sustained programs of mini-grids in African countries. By examining diverse implementation approaches, ERRA members could identify regulatory tools best suited to their specific contexts.

    Agenda

    Tuesday, October 14
    09:45Get-together in the venue
    10:00Opening remarks and introduction
    Nelkova-Chuchuk, Andrijana
    ERRA Chair; Head of Economic Department, Energy, Water Services and Municipal Waste Management Services Regulatory Commission (ERC), North Macedonia
    Speaker bio
    Nelkova-Chuchuk, Andrijana
    ERRA Chair; Head of Economic Department, Energy, Water Services and Municipal Waste Management Services Regulatory Commission (ERC)
    North Macedonia
    Nelkova-Chuchuk, Andrijana

    Andrijana Nelkova Chuchuk is Head of Economic Department at the Energy, Water Services and Municipal Waste Management Services Regulatory Commission (ERC) of the Republic of North Macedonia. She served as Commissioner from 2019 to 2024. Previously she was a Deputy Head of Economic Department at the ERC. She has 19 years’ experience in energy regulation in the field of electricity, natural gas, district heating and oil and oil derivatives. In the period 2016 - 2019 she was also a Coordinator of the Water Services Regulation Group at ERC North Macedonia.

    In 2018 Andrijana was elected for her second term as Chair of the ERRA Tariff/Pricing Committee and in 2020 and 2022 she was elected as ERRA Presidium member. In May 2024 Andrijana assumed the position of ERRA Chair for a 2-year term. Andrijana Nelkova Chuchuk holds a B.Sc. degree in Economy in the field of Financial and Accounting Management and M.Sc. degree in Economy in the field of Accounting and Auditing and is a member in several professional organizations.

    Yilmaz, Mustafa
    President, Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA), Türkiye
    Speaker bio
    Yilmaz, Mustafa
    President, Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA)
    Türkiye
    Yilmaz, Mustafa

    Mustafa Yılmaz was born in Nizip/Gaziantep in 1966. Pursuant to his secondary education in Nizip, he completed his higher education in İstanbul University Law Faculty between years 1984-1988. He became a free-lance lawyer in İstanbul in 1989. He worked as a lawyer in the energy sector between the years 1993-2004. In this period, he contributed to the activities of some non-governmental organisations.

    He was appointed as the Board Member of EMRA in February 2004. He was assigned as the Second President with a Decision of Council of Ministers in January 2010 and was re-appointed as the Second President in February 2010. Yılmaz was assigned as the President of EMRA in February 2014 for the rest of his term of office. Finally, he was appointed as the President of EMRA on 1 March 2016 for a period of 6 years. Mustafa Yılmaz is married with three children.

    Session 1: COLLECTIVE SELF-CONSUMPTION AND ENERGY COMMUNITIES: FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS OF A NOVELTY IN THE ENERGY SECTOR

    Moderator: Ms. Alda Ozola, ERRA Presidium Member; Chair, Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Latvia

    10:15

    Setting the stage: individual vs collective self-consumption in the era of renewables: foundational concepts, key drivers and roles

    Kaderják, Péter
    Head of Zero Carbon Hub, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary
    Speaker bio
    Kaderják, Péter
    Head of Zero Carbon Hub, Budapest University of Technology and Economics
    Hungary
    Kaderják, Péter

    Dr. Péter Kaderják, PhD in Business Administration has a long standing academic and decision-making experience in the fields of energy sector regulation and energy- and climate policy. Currently he is Head of Zero Carbon Hub at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. He is also the managing director for the Hungarian Battery Association. Formerly he served in several high-level government and regulatory positions: as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Policy at the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, Hungary; as member of the Supervisory Board of ACER; as President of the Hungarian Energy Office; and as Chief of Cabinet for the Minister of Economic Affairs, Hungary. His academic contribution is linked primarily to Corvinus University of Budapest, where he received his degrees and established and directed REKK (the Regional Centre for Energy Policy Research) between 2004 and 2018. His past and current activities are strongly linked to the liberalization and European integration of the Hungarian electricity and natural gas sectors; the successful diversification of the Hungarian natural gas sector; and the creation of national strategies to meet climate neutrality by Hungary by 2050. Today he is busy with the design and implementation of policies, programs, research and education that promote Hungary towards climate neutrality.  

    10:35Q&A
    10:45

    The European Union legislation on self-consumption and energy communities (online)

    Taramboli, Giulia
    PhD Candidate in Electrical Engineering, Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
    Speaker bio
    Taramboli, Giulia
    PhD Candidate in Electrical Engineering, Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano
    Italy
    Taramboli, Giulia

    Giulia Taromboli is currently a PhD Candidate in Electrical Engineering at the Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano. She also serves as the techno-economic administrator of CER.ca.MI Solidale ETS, an energy community in Italy co-founded by Politecnico di Milano and the Municipality of Milan.

    She holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Politecnico di Milano.

    Her research focuses on the planning and operation of energy communities, long-term decarbonisation strategies for urban districts, and electricity market analysis.

    11:05Q&A
    11:15

    Empowering local grids: How energy communities can enable variable renewable integration

    Szolnoki, Pálma
    Senior Research Associate, Zero Carbon Hub, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary
    Speaker bio
    Szolnoki, Pálma
    Senior Research Associate, Zero Carbon Hub, Budapest University of Technology and Economics
    Hungary
    Szolnoki, Pálma

    Ms Szolnoki is a senior research associate at Zero Carbon Hub based at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. Her topics include the decarbonizational transformation of the natural gas sector. Earlier she was responsible for natural gas market monitoring at the Hungarian Energy and Public Utility Regulatory Authority. She has been active in the natural gas sector since 2004. She started her carrier at REKK where she was leading natural gas market related projects and gave regularly lectures at Corvinus University and at ERRA. Later she joined the then newly formed Hungarian natural gas exchange (CEEGEX) and then the natural gas division of the Hungarian national energy company MVM Partner. Preceding HEA she was a senior business analyst at IP Systems the primary provider of IT solutions to the region’s gas sector players and also the developer of the EU acknowledged Regional Booking Platform the allocation platform of natural gas interconnection capacities.

    In 2017 she won 1st prize at the ERRA Regulatory Research Award with her paper on natural gas balancing.

    11:35Q&A
    11:45Morning break
    Session 2: COUNTRY CASE STUDIES FOR ENERGY COMMUNITIES

    Moderator: Ms. Alda Ozola, ERRA Presidium Member; Chair, Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Latvia

    National case studies
    12:15

    Case Study of Austria

    Proidl, Harald
    Director, Renewables and Energy Efficiency, E-Control, Austria
    Speaker bio
    Proidl, Harald
    Director, Renewables and Energy Efficiency, E-Control
    Austria
    Proidl, Harald

    Harald Proidl is director for Renewables and director of the Energy Efficiency Authority with the Austrian regulator E-control. He holds a Master and a PhD in Economics. He is working in the field of Renewables and Energy Efficiency for 2 decades. Before he joined E-Control he was researcher on the University of Linz/Austria, senior expert with the Austrian Energy Agency and the Austrian Association of Electricity Companies. Beside the daily regulatory business he is involved in international projects in Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the Kaukasus region and he is active in international organisations like ERRA and CEER.

    12:27

    Case Study of Armenia

    Aghinyan, Sergey
    Commissioner, Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC), Armenia
    Speaker bio
    Aghinyan, Sergey
    Commissioner, Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC)
    Armenia
    Aghinyan, Sergey
    Sergey Aghinyan has been serving as a Commissioner at the Public Services Regulatory Commission of Armenia since 2019. In this role, Mr. Aghinyan oversees tariff calculation, approval of investment programs, and procurement activities for power sector companies. Prior to his appointment as a Commissioner, Mr. Aghinyan spent 19 years within the regulatory commission, holding various positions that encompassed a broad spectrum of financial, technical, legal, and economic responsibilities. His experience includes evaluating investment projects, overseeing expenses and procurements, and monitoring the licensed activities of regulated entities. Mr. Aghinyan has been instrumental in the development and enhancement of Armenia’s regulatory legislative framework, particularly in areas such as renewable energy, investments, procurement processes, service quality monitoring, and fostering constructive relationships between utilities, regulators, and consumers. He also contributed to drafting market liberalization legislation and developing grid codes for transmission and distribution systems. Since 2022, Mr. Aghinyan has served as a regulatory expert in several international programs, sharing his extensive experience and contributing to the advancement of regulatory practices in power sector.
    12:39

    Case Study of Czech Republic

    Černý, Alexandr
    Director of the Electricity and Gas Technical Regulation Department, Energy Regulatory Office (ERO), Czech Republic
    Speaker bio
    Černý, Alexandr
    Director of the Electricity and Gas Technical Regulation Department, Energy Regulatory Office (ERO)
    Czech Republic
    Černý, Alexandr

    Alexandr has been working for the Czech NRA since 2021 as the head of department that is responsible mainly for the organization of electricity and gas market in the Czech Republic. Before joining the Czech NRA Alexandr has been for many years the head of forecasting and commodity procurement in ČEZ Prodej, the largest energy retail supplier in the Czech Republic. He started his career working for Deloitte and KPMG as senior consultant and manager with the expertise mainly in forecasting and risk management for utilities. Alexandr received his M.S. in Physics at the Charles University in Prague and his Ph.D. in Economics at CERGE-EI in Prague.

    12:51

    Case Study of Greece

    Komnios, Komninos
    Member of the Board, Regulatory Authority for Energy, Waste and Water (RAAEY), Greece
    Speaker bio
    Komnios, Komninos
    Member of the Board, Regulatory Authority for Energy, Waste and Water (RAAEY)
    Greece
    Komnios, Komninos

    Dr. Komninos Komnios is the Board Member of the Hellenic Regulatory Authority for Energy, Waste and Water (RAAEY) and actively participates in decision-making and shaping regulatory strategy in Greece, gaining direct, hands-on experience with the challenges and opportunities within the energy sector. He is also an associate professor of Energy Law, International Hellenic University (IHU), where he docuses on EU Energy Law and Regulation, sharing knowledge and promoting research on issues critical to ERRA's mission. Also serves as Director of the MSc Program in Energy Law, Business, Regulation and Policy at IHU, demonstrating leadership in specialized energy law education. Dr. Komnios is also a member of the National Council for Consumer and Market (ΕΣΚΑ - ESKA) and contributes expertise on energy market dynamics, regulation, and consumer protection issues at a national advisory level. He is the Head of the Hellenic Energy Ombudsman Office and leads the independent national body responsible for out-of-court dispute resolution within the energy sector. This role involves managing complex energy-related disputes and stakeholder relations, demonstrating practical leadership in fostering fair market practices and consensus-building – skills vital at a regional level.

    13:03

    Case Study of Türkiye

    İpekli, Ahmet Hüsrev
    Energy Expert, Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA), Türkiye
    Speaker bio
    İpekli, Ahmet Hüsrev
    Energy Expert, Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA)
    Türkiye
    İpekli, Ahmet Hüsrev

    Ahmet Hüsrev has been working for the EMRA since 2018 as an energy expert. He is primarily responsible for regulation relating to the design, planning, installation and real-time operation of the transmission grid and ancillary services market. He has made significant contributions to the preparation of secondary legislation on aggregation, demand-side participation, and storage-integrated power plants in Türkiye. He is also interested in international electricity trade and in technologies for generating and storing electricity.

    He earned his BSc and MSc degrees in Electrical Engineering from Sakarya University. He is currently studying for a PhD at Gazi University.

    13:15Q&A
    13:30Lunch
    Session 3: EXPERIENCES OF COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS AIMED AT AFFORDABILITY, SOLIDARITY AND ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY

    Moderator: Mr. Luca Lo Schiavo, Senior Regulatory Specialist, ERRA

    14:30

    Increased electricity access through sustainable mini-grids

    Tossou, Kocou
    Chairman, ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA)
    Speaker bio
    Tossou, Kocou
    Chairman, ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA)
    Tossou, Kocou

    Engineer by profession, Mr. Kocou Laurent Rodrigue TOSSOU was Managing Director of the Beninese Electric Power Company (SBEE) from 2016 to 2019. As such, M. TOSSOU actively participated in the process of setting up the West African Power Pool (WAPP) as a member of the Board of Directors and organized in Cotonou, Benin in June 2018 the event of the launching of phase 1 of the ECOWAS regional electricity market. A Graduated in Energy Market Management at CentraleSupélec in France, he was just before his appointment to ERERA, Member of the National Regulatory Council of the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Benin.

    14:40Q&A
    Regulatory experiences with mini grids in Africa
    14:45

    Tanzanian Regulatory Experience

    Lwila, Azaria Nathan
    Senior Electrical Engineer, Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA), Tanzania
    Speaker bio
    Lwila, Azaria Nathan
    Senior Electrical Engineer, Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA)
    Tanzania
    Lwila, Azaria Nathan

    Azaria Nathan Lwila is currently a Senior Electrical Engineer at EWURA (Energy and Water Utilities Authority) in the Department of Electricity. Previously, he served as a Technical Auditor at TANESCO (Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited) in the Directorate of Internal Audit. He began his career at Symbion Power LLC in the construction of the distribution networks in the rural rectification projects.

    He graduated BSc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (2012). He also holds an MBA (Finance) from the Open University of Tanzania (2022). Currently, he is pursuing a Master of Engineering Management in Project Management at the University of Dar es Salaam.

    15:05

    Nigerian Regulatory Experience

    Mohammed, Umar
    Regulatory Specialist, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Nigeria
    Speaker bio
    Mohammed, Umar
    Regulatory Specialist, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)
    Nigeria
    Mohammed, Umar

    Umar Mohammed is a Regulatory Specialist at the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), where he has played a key role in developing regulations and frameworks that promote renewable energy and minigrid growth. Before joining the Commission, he built a long career in the banking industry, focusing on corporate finance and investment for over fifteen years.

    At NERC, Mohammed has concentrated on integrating Minigrids into Nigeria’s electrification strategy, developing tariff methodologies, and creating regulatory models that balance investor confidence with consumer protection. His efforts have supported Nigeria’s energy access goals, promoted private sector involvement, and advanced renewable energy integration into the national energy mix.

    Mohammed holds a master’s degree in Energy Finance and an MBA. His current research interests focus on the economics of renewable energy in developing countries, emphasizing innovative financing and regulation as key drivers of the clean energy transition.

    15:20Q&A
    15:30

    Low-income oriented programs: “community solar” in the US (online)

    Sandler, Simon
    Researcher, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), USA
    Speaker bio
    Sandler, Simon
    Researcher, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
    USA
    Sandler, Simon

    Simon Sandler is a researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). He has been at NREL for over 2 years and has over 5 years of combined experience working in techno-economic and policy analysis of renewable energy (solar, storage, energy efficiency, wind, and more) in both the public and private sector. He has an engineering background, obtaining a B.S. in civil engineering before getting his M.S. in Sustainable Energy Systems. His current work at NREL is focused on policy and modeling of distributed solar and storage. Projects he works on include the National Community Solar Partnership+, Federal Energy Management Program, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Solar For All program.

    15:50Q&A
    16:00Roundtable discussion: regulatory recommendations
    • All speakers are invited to take part at the roundtable and contribute
    16:30Free discussion
    16:50End of the Workshop

    ERRA reserves the right to change the published agenda at any time during the organisation and implementation of the programme.

    Speakers

    Yilmaz_Mustafa_200px

    Mustafa Yilmaz

    Speaker


    President, Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA), Türkiye
    Nelkova-Chuchuk_Andrijana_new_200px

    Andrijana Nelkova-Chuchuk

    Speaker


    ERRA Chair; Energy, Water Services and Municipal Waste Management Services Regulatory Commission (ERC), North Macedonia
    Kaderjak_Peter_new_200px

    Péter Kaderják

    Speaker


    Head of Zero Carbon Hub (ZKK), Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary
    Lo_Schiavo_Luca_200px

    Luca Lo Schiavo

    Speaker


    Senior Regulatory Specialist, Energy Regulators Regional Association (ERRA)
    Κomninos_Κomnios_200px

    Komninos Komnios

    Speaker


    Member of the Board, Regulatory Authority for Energy, Waste and Water (RAAEY), Greece
    Aghinyan_Sergey_200px

    Sergey Aghinyan

    Speaker


    Commissioner, Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC), Armenia
    Ozola_Alda_200px

    Alda Ozola

    Speaker


    ERRA Presidium member; Chair, Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Latvia
    Tossou_Kocou_200px

    Kocou Tossou

    Speaker


    Chairman, ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA)
    Harald Proidl, ERRA RE COM Chair

    Harald Proidl

    Speaker


    Director, Renewables and Energy Efficiency, E-Control, Austria
    Szolnoki_Palma_200px

    Pálma Szolnoki

    Speaker


    Senior Research Associate Zero Carbon Hub, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary
    Cerny_Alexandr_200px

    Alexandr Černý

    Speaker


    Director of the Electricity and Gas Technical Regulation Department, Energy Regulatory Office (ERO), Czech Republic
    Lwila_Azaria_Nathan_200px

    Azaria Nathan Lwila

    Speaker


    Senior Electrical Engineer, Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA), Tanzania
    Sandler_Simon_200px

    Simon Sandler

    Speaker


    Researcher, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), USA
    Taramboli_Giulia_200px

    Giulia Taromboli

    Speaker


    Department of Energy,
    Politecnico di Milano
    Ipekli_Ahmet_200px

    Ahmet Hüsrev İpekli

    Speaker


    Energy Expert, Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA), Türkiye
    Mohammed_Umar_200px

    Umar Mohammed

    Speaker


    Regulatory Specialist, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)

    Registration

    Please note that the meals are not included.

    Registration is free of charge but is subject to approval by the ERRA Secretariat

    Sign up here

    Travelling to Türkiye

    Visa

    Please verify the visa requirements of Türkiye by contacting the Turkish Embassy in your country.  

    In case you need an entry visa, please immediately contact the ERRA Secretariat! To prepare a visa invitation letter for you, please send us your passport copy and indicate the Embassy where you are applying for the visa. 

     

    Venue

    Venue: EMRA Premises

    Mustafa Kemal Mahallesi, 2078 Sokak No: 4, 06510 Ankara, Türkiye


    Suggested Accommodation

    Radisson Blu Hotel, Ankara Cankaya | Website

    Sleeping rooms are available in Radisson Blue Hotel Ankara at the rate of EUR 110/night, including breakfast + VAT until September 26. For any bookings please directly contact the hotel:

    Contact person: Ms. Öznur Özer

    Email: oznur.ozer@radissonblu.com and reservations.ankaracankaya@radissonblu.com; emir.durdagi@radissonblu.com

    T: +90 312 203 99 99 |  M: 0538 940 29 74

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