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Chile has set itself to achieve Greenhouse Gas emission neutrality, with at least 70% of electricity coming from renewable energy sources by 2050. To this end, institutional and regulatory frameworks have been improved, resulting in significant progress in medium and large-scale projects. However, solar energy production at residential level and its surplus injection to all distribution networks has been very limited. This paper analyzes the evolution of the regulatory energy policies in Chile in order to contrast it with an economic evaluation of residential projects. The analysis focuses on the city of Arica, one of the highest potential regions in terms of solar energy within the country. There, a particularly low penetration of residential solar energy usage has been observed. Based on the current situation, projections are made for Arica in 2050, through the identification of barriers and opportunities on a residential scale development. According to some recommendations, there is the need to design policies that take into account the particular characteristics of each region within the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an overview of the relevant evidence available up to now regarding the Scottish experience in relation to the development of community energy projects. Scotland has a relevant number of community energy projects which are generating energy, improving the quality of life of communities through sustainable initiatives. This is the result of the implementation of successful policies to encourage community energy by the Scottish government (in comparison with other countries). On the contrary, the Chilean community energy sector is still incipient, despite some interest; public policies have been focused on fostering the concept of distributed generation. Chilean community energy developments have not been analysed in any detail; this paper is a first attempt to do so, and to derive lessons from the Scottish experience that can be useful to Chilean policy makers. We summarise and analyse the Scottish and Chilean community energy sectors and their developments. We further analyse the current Chilean net billing scheme using concepts from game theory, showing that it may not be the best support mechanism for citizen-led energy production developments. Based on these analyses, we define a list of policy recommendations for Chile, which can help further development in the community energy sector. • Scotland should be recognised as a worldwide example in community energy. • Community-oriented organisations seem to be leading community energy in Scotland. • Chilean energy policies have focused on distributed generation schemes instead. • Chilean net billing scheme is not always convenient for residential consumers. • Community energy development might be a promising option for Chile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]