SOLAR ENERGY AS A PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE - ENERGY COOPERATIVE ELEKTROPIONIR

Electricity, on which almost our entire household depends, is mostly produced from coal in Serbia. However, this substance has the greatest impact on air pollution, but also on one of the biggest threats to the survival of the planet - climate change. Is there an alternative for the average citizen and is it even possible in a system like ours?

You've probably heard of solar panels, those huge panels that some of your curious and environmentally conscious neighbors installed on their roofs. Solar energy is actually one of the cleanest forms of renewable energy, more precisely, it is the least harmful to the environment. You invest money, someone installs solar panels on your roof, you are your own boss and you no longer pay bills to EPS. But is everything really that simple?

There are a large number of people in Serbia who either already have a solar power plant or are interested in something like that. Motivated primarily by material, but also environmental reasons, many decide to take this step. One of them is Ana Djokic and Mark Neilen. Their idea was to sustainably supply themselves with solar energy. This type of supply is also possible with us because we have a large number of sunny days a year. However, this type of energy production is discouraged by a series of administrative and legal obstacles for individuals. The problem arises due to excess energy produced, when the solar power plant produces more than the household needs. What happens to that excess?

In many European countries, citizens can send excess energy to the grid and thus receive some relief (money or a reduction in their electricity bill). In our country, something like that is still not possible, which makes the whole idea unprofitable and complicated. That's why the current solution is to install limiters, which allow to create only as much energy as is needed and no kilowatt more. Due to the unused potential, the investment in the solar power plant, under these conditions, will pay off for Anna and Mark only in about 70 years.

These obstacles as well as potentials motivated Ana and Marko and six other enthusiasts to join forces to find a solution to sustainably supply individual households with solar energy. At the end of 2019, they founded Energy cooperative Electro pioneer, one of the first in our country. More importantly, they are interested in whether it is possible to somehow monetize the excess energy produced. ,,Our goal is to see how we can make this economically acceptable, so that it is not ecological elitism. ", says Staša Stojkov, one of the cooperative members.

Elektropionir breaks down a model that all interested citizens will be able to follow if they decide to supply solar energy. Staša explains to us that the cooperative, as a legal entity, is also preparing the ground to take on the role of mediator between citizens and the company that will buy the excess energy produced. Instead of waiting for something to change at the legislative level, the cooperatives decided to map out the steps for switching to this alternative, to make it easier for citizens."One of the reasons why we decided on the cooperative format is that it functions according to the principle of collective action, in our case, through energy production." We want such action to eventually affect some bigger changes. By involving citizens, our goal is for them to feel like actors in a more solidary society that cares about resources and its environment." , concludes Staša.