The region invests in solar energy: Electricity from the roof, not imported
At the time of the energy crisis, climate challenges and ever-increasing electricity bills, a model is being developed across Europe that offers sustainable solutions to citizens and the economy - energy communities. In Serbia and the region, this concept has yet to take root, and the potential is great.
- Energy communities are associations of citizens, local authorities, small and medium-sized legal entities that jointly produce, share and use energy, most often from renewable sources. Instead of being only consumers, we can also become producers - and thus actively participate in the energy transition - points out Jasmina Radovanović, leading advisor for property and investments at NALED.
In Europe today there are more than 10,000 such communities with over two million members and more than 10 GW of installed capacity. Radovanović explains that energy communities bring numerous benefits - from savings on electricity bills to reduction of CO₂ emissions.
- Joint investment, sharing of installation costs, better negotiating position on the market, energy independence - all this makes this model attractive for both citizens and the economy - she explains.
In addition to individual benefits, this model contributes to keeping the energy grid stable, especially during periods of peak consumption, and reduces the need to import energy. According to available analyses, our region has excellent potential for the development of energy communities with more than 1,200 kWh of solar radiation per square meter per year, and the return on investment in solar systems can be in just five to six years. This opens the door to local energy production and greater energy independence of communities.
This has already been recognized by four local governments from Croatia and Serbia, which will install solar power plants on 30 public buildings by mid-February 2026, install 13 smart bus stops and modernize public lighting using energy-efficient solutions. The cross-border cooperation project "Energy Efficient Communities", worth more than two million euros, is implemented by the city of Subotica and the Croatian municipalities of Vladislavci, Gorjani and Strizivojna with the support of NALED and financial assistance from the European Union.
After the completion of this project, Subotica will get the first efficient energy community. However, the path to the association of citizens, entrepreneurs and local self-governments in the joint production of electricity in Serbia is not simple. As many as 18 permits are required, because the law does not recognize a special procedure for the formation of an energy community.
- The existing regulation imposes almost the same obligations as for large energy projects, although they are mostly small local initiatives. It is necessary to simplify procedures, enable incentives and form a single point of contact - the so-called. one-stop-shop - which would facilitate the establishment and management of these communities - says Radovanović.
She adds that in our country, the joint consumption and production of energy among members is not yet clearly regulated, and the lack of incentives and subsidies further complicates the development of this concept. If we wisely direct funds from EU funds and develop local capacities, energy communities can be one of the key instruments of the green transition, says Radovanović.
In the end, our interlocutor reminds that one of the recommendations from the Gray Book was fulfilled last year, which refers to the improvement of the position of electricity buyers-producers. With the digitization of 27 services, mainly in the field of renewable energy sources, the reform on the complete digitization and centralization of procedures, as well as on the standardization of the actions of all branches of the Electric Distribution of Serbia in the process of connecting energy facilities to the grid, was partially achieved.
