Author: Rūta Trainytė, Lithuanian Consumers Alliance

Lithuania is a benchmark case in Europe, regarding a solar and wind energy adoption breakthrough among the population. The number of generating consumers ('prosumers') has been doubling for several years in a row since 2019. The country counts around 100.000 households that are self-reliant in renewable energy. However, with 1.2 million households in Lithuania, there is still room for growth.

Lithuania is presented as a good case study at various events and conferences because both businesses and the legal system have adapted to the need for consumers to become independent and to power their homes, especially in the face of possible military threats and climate crises.

Business has seen a good niche in photovoltaics (PV), and politicians have put energy independence at the top of the priority list. Obviously, one of the best ways to achieve this is by allowing citizens to generate their own energy. Opening up the electricity grid to generating consumers has been a decisive factor in the boom in renewable energy generation.

The myths are busted

Fifteen years ago, many people in Lithuania still thought we did not have enough solar, but that myth has now been dispelled. The transition of the population to renewable energy has been and continues to be driven by state support schemes.

The state compensates around one-third of the price of installing a solar plant on a rooftop or buying a "piece" in a remote solar park.

With the boom of low-power (up to 800 watts) solar power plants in Germany, this type of power plant has started to appear in Lithuania, too. It is convenient because when you put it on your balcony, your apartment is supplied with electricity, which you can consume immediately. The rest of energy which you do not use feeds into the general electricity grid.

However, balcony power plants are still very slowly making their way, because as with every new case, there are bottlenecks to deal with. And there are a lot of them in Lithuania.

One barrier is a small supply of affordable ready-to-plug-in systems. One can buy a small solar power plant kit in an e-shop today, but the price is not yet tempting.

Of course, demand is needed to grow supply. And demand can be created in many ways.

Unfortunately, in Lithuania, we do not have any public – state or municipal – support scheme for balcony power plants, yet. In Berlin (Germany), for example, a household receives up to EUR 500 in support for the installation of such a plant. So, there is a huge market potential, both in terms of the variety of modules and good prices. After all, the most important thing is that the installation pays for itself and amortises quickly.

Benefits for the consumer – first

Lithuanians are pragmatic. In Lithuania, a low-power solar power plant on a balcony is allowed up to 800 watts. To cover yearly consumption, a single household may need two or three kilowatts or more.

So, with all the installation work, only an enthusiast can pay around a thousand euros. On the other hand, such a plant can be a good option for those who want to try the benefits of solar energy and reduce their energy bill by ten to thirty per cent.

State support would be particularly useful here, especially – for the purchase of the battery. After all, in the ideal case, energy has to be stored somewhere, because solar electricity is not generated during the night; it is also very useful to have a backup if the supply from the grid is disturbed in some accidental case.

However, the cost of a battery makes a solar power plant extremely expensive, the payback period becomes too long. It is particularly true that there are other alternatives of prosumer electricity in Lithuania, i.e. as it is easy, with a click of a mouse button, to buy a slice of a remote solar power plant.

But a resident's desire alone is not enough. Living in a multi-apartment house also creates barriers. For example, the balcony must face the sun and not be blocked by the shadows of trees or other buildings near the house.

Next, the building must be no more than 24 years old (as recommended by installation safety experts) or have refurbished electrical wiring. Of course, the condition of the balcony needs to be assessed, as it will have to bear an extra 30-40 kilograms, and an externally sourced specialist must do this by Lithuanian law. This is again a cost in time and money for the apartment owner.

To connect the solar power plant, an electrical plug is needed in the balcony on the outside, which will have to be installed by someone (an electrician on call).

Lithuania is very strict in terms of regulations and laws regarding this renewable energy source. In Germany, the prosumer himself can install a plug-in PV and does not need any experts or technicians for the installment. The only thing he needs is the allowance of the building owner or the homeowner association.

Moreover, the hanging itself is complicated if the balcony contains sliding glass windows or something similar to that. There are proposals for such cases from German experts but those do not agree with Lithuanian regulations and therefor are not applicable in this Baltic country. So, after looking at the condition of the apartment and the house, one is faced with a stumbling block that can quickly knock the wind out of a great enthusiast.

Legislative hurdles

Under current legislation, the consent of all residents of a building is required to install a solar module on their balcony. This is followed by a building project and a building permit. Yes, yes, construction, even though we are not building anything, just hanging a solar module on our balcony like a bed sheet. However, experts unanimously explain that such a 'sheet' is a change to the façade of the house, and therefore it would require a municipal permit. So, we face a conflict between aesthetics and energy safety. And aesthetics have a huge weight in the Baltic Countries. 

If the resident goes through the above steps, he or she will face a few more barriers when installing the modules. One of them is the power plant's permitted capacity. In Lithuania, for example, a maximum of 800 watts is allowed on a balcony, but there is a wide variety of solar modules available, and residents may buy a higher wattage module to maximize efficiency. What happens then? Of course, the power of the plant is regulated by the inverter – it is simply capped. But who will check that the resident does not cheat? An 800-watt solar power plant can be registered on ESO's online system without any additional requirements. However, even here, it has already been observed that there are abuses in terms of maximum installed power reporting.

An alternative in case of crises

So, all in all, it may seem like too much hassle for a low-energy gain. But it is not. A small solar power plant can already be a great alternative for energy independence, especially for people living on low incomes or in social housing.

Balconies have plenty of space, more than a roof, and they can be used for solar panels. The fears of architects about the façade of a house can be dispelled because there are already very interesting options that can even decorate the façade, making it nicer. So what is needed here is the removal of barriers, cooperation and advice.

It would also require a little more vision and seeing the possibilities in the renovation of old blocks of flats. Solar energy must be part of the renovation of the building. And balconies or even façades can serve this purpose perfectly.

In addition, residents of blocks of flats can only purchase a remote power plant if they are the owners of the flats in which they live. But for a small power plant on a balcony, you need to agree with the owner. The power plant can then be unhooked and taken to another rented apartment if needed.

Experts expect a breakthrough

As usual, everything depends on priorities and the goodwill of all parties. If we prioritize the creation of value for as many people as possible and the application of sustainable alternatives, starting from small things like how to recharge their mobile phones in a crisis, then architectural solutions can easily be found.

Just like public support: if we have a tested track, all we need is the political will for yet another support scheme. Other solutions can be found by simply allocating a certain amount of money, as is done in Germany – easier to get support.

Judging by the way the team at the Ministry of Energy is taking an interest in this renewable energy option, it is quite possible that some support system for those who want small-scale solar power plants could be designed within a couple of years.

Experts agree that there is still a lack of pilot projects in Lithuania. Hence, the SUNRISE project, implemented by the Consumers Alliance team in Lithuania, is the only one so far that has attracted the attention of both civil servants and energy specialists.

Everyone is curious to see the results of the measurements of the solar power plants installed during the project period. Small-scale solar power plants are still in their infancy in Lithuania, but, like any innovation, they will move the market and there is little doubt that within the next two decades, the balconies of multifamily houses will be covered with solar modules.

Photos: Lithuanian Consumers Alliance

This project is part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI). EUKI is a project funding instrument of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK). The EUKI competition for project ideas is run by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). The overall objective of EUKI is to promote climate cooperation within the European Union (EU) in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. www.euki.de/en