Renewable energy platform for prosumers

About this good practice

By project POWERTY

Published on 15 October 2020

Lithuania

In order to make it is a popular alternative for energy and consumption conscious residents as well as businesses to become renewable energy users on 1st of October 2019, the world's first nationwide platform Saulės Parkai (Solar parks) has been launched and is available to residents willing to produce solar energy for their homes.
In order to encourage residents to take advantage of new opportunities in the energy sector, state owned company “IGNITIS Group” developed an online platform. Through this platform, the energy users will be able to purchase or rent a part of the remote power plant, wherever its location in Lithuania. A web page has been launched, where potential prosumers can calculate solar power requirements and make a supply order.
The user will be able to cover energy user own electricity consumption with the power produced by the remote solar power plant. The platform acts as independent and neutral to all market players’ entity bringing together solar parks developers and prosumers. As this organisation have high number of clients it is easy marketing and pooling clients, collecting reservations and funds (plants are started being built after certain percentage of foreseen is reserved). After project is finished platform is collecting payments for plant maintenance and sending it to the developer.

Expert opinion

With the change in Lithuania’s national law to enable net-metering and prosumerism, this practice represents an innovative business model coming from the new enabling framework, enabling individuals to invest in renewables even if they do not have the space at home to have their own installation. It is a very interesting model for stimulating investment and triggering uptake of renewables, overseen by a state company which is able to make use of scale to bring good deals to consumers. In particular, many people living in cities, including renters, are an untapped market for renewables investment as they do not have space, capacity, permission or inclination to have own projects. The very high interest demonstrates this potential and it will be interesting to watch further development as the plants are built. The practice goes hand-in-hand with the law presented in the practice, ‘Remote renewable energy power plants for prosumers’: https://www.interregeurope.eu/policylearning/good-practices/item/4469/remote-renewable-energy-power-plants-for-prosumers/

Simon Hunkin

Resources needed

No public finance resources are needed.
It should be noted that a political support and mutual work on supporting RES legislation is essential.

Evidence of success

Information on the platform of 10th of January 2020:
• First project of 1 MW solar plant was reserved by 280 prosumers in 2 days.
• Project amounting to more than 6.1 MW finished;
• More than 2.6 MW projects are under development;
• Consumer interest expressed for additionally for more than 10 MW of power.
10,000 individuals are expected to become prosumers via the platform at the end of 2020.

Potential for learning or transfer

Other partners can learn how to encourage residents to take advantage of new opportunities in the energy sector through an online platform so boosting renewable energy use.
Project developer is planning to promote this initiative and the scheme in other countries.