Starting in January, residential buildings in the Czech Republic will have the option to generate electricity together and distribute it among individual households. Families can install photovoltaic power plants on their building’s roofs and share the energy they produce, potentially saving tens of percent on their electricity bills. While all building residents do not have to agree to the joint power generation, only an agreement between the cooperative or homeowners’ association is required. 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, and 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, with the total amount of the subsidy reaching millions of crowns per building, depending on its size, the number of apartments, and the measures taken.

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. However, grants cannot be obtained for new buildings.

The new program enables families to collaborate and work towards reducing their carbon footprint while lowering their electricity bills. It also highlights the government’s commitment to transitioning towards renewable energy sources and encouraging green investments. Overall, the initiative makes sustainable living more accessible and allows individuals to take an active role in reducing their environmental impact.

Article by Prague Forum