Comunidade CER

Comunidade CER is an online platform for joining or creating Renewable Energy Communities (*Comunidades de Energia Renovável*, or CER), as regulated by Decree-Law 162/2019. It brings together individual consumers, businesses, institutions and municipalities who want to produce, share and consume renewable energy locally, without necessarily owning the generation infrastructure themselves. Through these communities, the platform works to speed up Portugal's transition to renewable energy, help the country meet its climate and sustainability targets, and give citizens an active role in the energy transition. Consumers can register their interest in joining an existing CER. If they have rooftop or land space available, they can propose a new community instead. Comunidade CER partners with energy companies that can finance and manage installations larger than 500 m². Members don't have to put up capital at the start, and the companies still handle maintenance, insurance and billing. Joining doesn't require any change to an existing energy supply contract and, in many cases, needs no upfront investment. The platform highlights three benefits. Electricity bills fall by 30% on average. CO2 emissions drop significantly. Households and companies gain more energy autonomy while energy prices are volatile. The initiative also aims to strengthen social and territorial cohesion, stimulate local economic development and combat energy poverty by making clean energy production something a community shares.