The expansion of energy communities: International trends and the Hungarian context

Abstract

Energy communities have emerged as key actors in energy systems over the past decade at the international level, particularly driven by the European Union's climate and energy policy objectives. This study aims to provide a theoretical and empirical analysis of the international and domestic expansion of energy communities, as well as an overview of the Hungarian context. The research explores both the conceptual and regulatory frameworks of energy communities and the economic, social, and technological factors underlying their diffusion. The analysis adopts a case study approach, examining the Bábolna Energy Community as an early example of domestic implementation. Additionally, it presents the main findings of a focus group study on the awareness, establishment, and operation of energy communities. Regarding the results, the study highlights that while several thousand energy communities are already in operation across the European Union, the model remains in an early stage of development in Hungary and faces significant institutional and regulatory challenges.