Energy community
An energy community (energiakogukond) is, per ELTS § 12² (transposing the EU Renewable Energy Community concept from Directive 2018/2001 and the Citizen Energy Community concept from Directive 2019/944), a member-controlled legal entity whose primary purpose is environmental, economic or social benefit rather than profit. Energy communities carry implicit BRP responsibility for their balance, can supply self-produced electricity to members, and rank as active customers when they consume own generation.
An energy community (energiakogukond) is, per ELTS § 12², a legal entity in which membership is voluntary and open, controlled by its natural- and legal-person members, and whose primary purpose is environmental, economic or social benefit to its members or the community where it operates rather than financial profit. The role was added to ELTS in 2022, transposing the EU Renewable Energy Community concept from Directive 2018/2001 and the Citizen Energy Community concept from Directive 2019/944.
What it can do
§ 12²(3) lets the energy community provide energy services to its members. § 12²(2) sets the technical mode: if the community supplies self-produced electricity to its members, it does so either via a community-built electrical installation or through the local DSO's service. Members retain whatever statutory rights and duties apply to them as household consumers or active customers.
Implicit BRP responsibility
§ 12²(4) mirrors the active-customer regime: the energy community has balance responsibility for its own balance, and is a BRP to that extent unless it has delegated the obligation under Regulation (EU) 2019/943 Article 5. § 12²(5) further provides that an energy community consuming self-produced electricity is itself an active customer per § 12¹.
Estonia in 2026
Energy-community uptake in Estonia has been slow compared to Germany or Spain — the small market and existing aggregator infrastructure leave less unmet need than in countries where individual customers struggle to reach balancing markets directly. Apartment associations are the most common use case; their members can collectively own rooftop solar and an aggregated battery without each unit setting up its own BRP relationship.