The boom of independent green production from solar energy
Although it may still sound unreal, the future of the entire electricity industry is in – prosumers -electricity consumers who took advantage of the opportunity to become producers as well, and the technology that will enable this on a global level certainly is - solar panels.
Prosumer, not a simple consumer
Not having a solar system on the south side of the roof of a building anywhere in the world, including in our region - becomes pointless. It is not only about an easily repaid investment and significant savings in electricity supply costs - but also about clean technology that contributes to the preservation of the environment, as well as the stability of the entire electrical network. However, until the recent legislative changes, this was neither possible nor profitable in our countries, so while millions of consumers in Europe and the region independently produce part of the electricity they need, in the countries of Southeast Europe, and especially in the Balkans, only a handful of forward-thinking companies and households dared to start such an undertaking.
Thanks to the progress of solar panel production technology, available loans and subsidies for their installation, and especially the preferential purchase price of electricity produced in such a way, there are more and more small electricity producers who, in this way, reduce their own electricity bills, contribute to the reduction of harmful gas emissions and the fight against climate change.
The urgency of energy transformation
The electricity market is changing faster than ever before – consumption is on the rise, the share of fossil raw materials must be decreased, and extreme weather conditions such as droughts affect production in hydropower plants. Even before the energy crisis in Europe, distributors had difficulty keeping up with the needs of the network, and now end consumers are also feeling these disturbances - in the form of increased electricity bills and anxiety about whether there will be restrictions in supply.
Owners of solar systems for the production of electricity throughout Europe have the possibility to use or store the produced energy, to return the surplus of produced energy to the electricity grid, as well as to import any shortage of electricity from the grid. At the same time, most users in energy-advanced countries have the ability to monitor their own production and consumption in real time and know at all times how much electricity they produce from their own sources and how much they use from the distribution network, as well as manage their consumption.
Unfortunately, in our region, households mainly cannot really produce electricity for their own needs - they hand it over entirely to the distribution network, and at the end of the month, the fee for the produced electricity is deducted from the electricity bill. It seems somewhat absurd to users - but in the case of electricity restrictions, even those who produce their own electricity will not be left out.
Wrong time to invest? - On the contrary!
Someone would say that in such conditions it is not yet time to think about installing your own solar panels and that the independent production of electricity among households and businesses is still in its infancy. Such exclusivity would still be a mistake - because it is a trend that has already taken off all over the world, and it has proven to be very worthwhile - so we should expect a change in the legislation for that reason.
It is about the fact that at a time when the shortage of basic raw materials in thermal power plants, as well as the drought in hydropower plants, raises the price of electricity throughout Europe - we have a new, green and practical solution that can simultaneously help us to save significantly and to be as energy efficient and independent as possible.
The existing system in our countries may not provide energy independence for end users - but it certainly brings huge savings. With changes in future legislation, it can be expected that consumers in our region will be able to store and use or sell the energy they produce as needed.