  The self-consistent random phase approximation (RPA) based on a correlated
realistic nucleon-nucleon interaction is used to evaluate correlation energies
in closed-shell nuclei beyond the Hartree-Fock level. The relevance of
contributions associated with charge exchange excitations as well as the
necessity to correct for the double counting of the second order contribution
to the RPA ring summation are emphasized. Once these effects are properly
accounted for, the RPA ring summation provides an efficient tool to assess the
impact of long-range correlations on binding energies throughout the whole
nuclear chart, which is of particular importance when starting from realistic
interactions.
