Abstract

In the era of renewable energy sources, the term «smart grid» denotes the new electricity grid, which no longer acts as an energy transmission channel exclusively from the production centre to the end customer; the new system is capable of receiving energy flows in a bidirectional manner, i.e. from both the power plant and the individual consumer. Actually, smart grids are able to support virtuous practices, where the consumer – who becomes a «prosumer » – can choose to use the energy he has produced according to his preferences, even going to supply the electricity grid himself. More than one solution has become available today, technically and above all legally, to implement this active role. Three cases are highlighted: (i) demand response; (ii) self-consumption and aggregations of renewables self-consumers; (iii) renewable energy communities.