SUNRISE – Prosumer Solar Energy

Raising awareness among people in Bulgaria, Lithuania, and North Macedonia for using solar energy to produce their own electricity.
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.
Plug-in Photovoltaic system on outer house wall, Photo: ©SoLocal Energy e.V., Kassel
The project addresses local organisations in Bulgaria, Lithuania, and North Macedonia to initiate the expansion of solar energy initiatives. It identifies legal and administrative barriers on national and local levels and develops solutions for multi-family buildings. The project helps to install 30-40 pilots of plug-in-PVs to test the elaborated approaches. These organisations receive training measures, dealing with housing consumer protection, renewable energy issues, and homeowners’ associations. In practice, SUNRISE supports homeowners, tenants, and consumers to install their own small-scale PV plants to generate their own electricity and contribute to the strategic national goals. Hence, the project enables self-consumption and puts consumers at the heart of the low-carbon transition for unleashing private investment in renewable energies.
Updated: March 2023
Countries: Bulgaria, Lithuania, North Macedonia
Project duration: 11/22 - 04/25
Funding: 484,957 €
Target groups: Civil Society, NGOs, Regional governments, Small and medium enterprises (SME)
Implementing organisation:
Housing Initiative for Eastern Europe e.V. (IWO)
Project Partners:
Alliance of Lithuanian Consumer Organization (ALCO), German society for solar energy section Berlin Brandenburg, Habitat for Humanity Bulgaria, Habitat Macedonia, Nadacia Habitat for Humanity International
Project Website:
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Mr Johann Strese
Organisation: Housing Initiative for Eastern Europe e.V. (IWO)
Address:
Alt-Moabit 101A
10559 Berlin
Germany
Email: strese∂iwoev.org
This project is part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI). EUKI is a project financing instrument by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). The EUKI call for project ideas is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. It is the overarching goal of the EUKI to foster climate cooperation within the European Union (EU) in order to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
European Climate Initiative (EUKI)
Potsdamer Platz 10
10785 Berlin – Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)30 338424 570
info∂euki.de