Residential buildings in the Czech Republic will be able to generate electricity together and distribute it among individual households starting in January. The initiative allows families to save up to tens of percent of their electricity bills. They can install photovoltaic power plants on the roofs of their buildings and share the energy they produce. However, not all building residents have to agree to the joint power generation. Only an agreement between the cooperative or homeowners’ association is sufficient. Those who do not want to participate in shared production will continue to receive electricity from their supplier.
Unlike before, all consumers do not have to be consolidated under one connection point for shared electricity production. Therefore, each household in the building can still choose their electricity supplier. Participants in the shared electricity production can use single and dual-tariff distribution rates, except introductory rates D01d and C01d.
To enable shared electricity production, existing electricity meters must be replaced with new continuous meters that measure consumption every 15 minutes. Distributors provide them free of charge. In connection with installing the new meter, the billing period for supply points sharing electricity will also change from annual to monthly.
Individual households must agree on how much electricity they can consume from shared production. The distribution can be based on how much each family contributes to installing the photovoltaic power plant. Distribution can only be made according to a predetermined percentage share. Produced electricity that households or buildings do not consume, such as lighting for common areas, is supplied to the distribution system.
The system is expected to be expanded in the coming years with a second allocation round. A portion of the remaining electricity supply from photovoltaics will be redistributed according to the household consumption ratio.
The state will contribute millions of Czech crowns to installing photovoltaics for shared production in residential buildings. “Residential buildings can draw from the New Green Savings Program for various measures. The total amount of the subsidy can reach millions of crowns per building, depending on its size, the number of apartments, and the measures taken,” said Lucie Ješátková, spokeswoman for the Ministry of the Environment.
For each installed kilowatt-hour on the roof, CZK 15,000 will be provided, and CZK 10,000 for each kilowatt-hour of batteries, with each residential unit connected to the photovoltaic system receiving a subsidy of CZK 5,000. Note that grants cannot be obtained for new buildings.
The new program allows families to collaborate and work towards reducing their carbon footprint. Additionally, they have the potential to lower their electricity bills, making sustainable living more accessible. The initiative also shows the government’s commitment to transitioning towards renewable energy sources and encouraging green investments.