SUNRISE – Prosumer Solar Energy

The European Green Deal aims to achieve climate neutrality in 2050 and decarbonise the EU’s energy systems not least through reducing energy consumption within the building sector, which within the EU and its neighbouring countries accounts for 30 to 40 per cent of a nation’s total energy consumption. Solar energy – specifically photovoltaics (PV) – has great potential in regard to using renewable energies, especially in multi-family buildings. Solar PV also constitutes the most prominent technology for energy self-consumption. It requires little maintenance and, therefore, is relatively cheap in operation. However, in Bulgaria, Lithuania, and North Macedonia, the solar potential to produce energy and reduce CO2 emissions is still capable of improvement in multi-family buildings.

The project addressed local organisations in Bulgaria, Lithuania, and North Macedonia to initiate and expand the use of solar energy. The project provided information on legal and administrative barriers at national and local levels and developed solar energy solutions for multi-family buildings. SUNRISE set an example by piloting plug-in PVs to test the designed approaches. The project also strengthened the capacities of local organisations, for example in consumer protection in the residential sector, renewable energy issues and dealing with homeowners' associations. SUNRISE supported owners, tenants and consumers in installing PV systems to generate their own electricity. The project thus encouraged prosumers, who play a central role in the energy transition with their private investments in renewable energies. In the long term, SUNRISE contributes to the national goals of the project countries. 

• Country-specific recommendations for more solar energy in private households: The project initiated concrete policy improvements in all three project countries by identifying legislative gaps and proposing practical solutions for prosumer models in the housing sector. This sparked important steps toward simplifying regulations for plug-in PV systems and supporting energy-poor households.
• Homeowner associations equipped for renewable energy financing: By examining the financial capacities of homeowner associations in all three countries, the project identified key barriers to implementing small-scale renewable energy measures in multi-family buildings and factors that encourage investment. Now, homeowner associations have the tools to play a key role in renewable energy financing solutions.
• Installation of pilot plug-in PV systems: The project trained homeowners and municipalities how plug-in PV systems can be successfully installed in multi-family buildings even under challenging regulatory and market conditions. Municipal actors and households build know-how and advanced the use of solar energy in different household types with the support of the project. The inclusion of different household types demonstrates the broad applicability and technical feasibility of plug-in PV systems across various residential contexts.