Romania’s Ministry of Energy is creating the legislative framework to allow citizens to consume locally produced renewable electricity.
“We are launching a beneficial initiative for all Romanian citizens: the right to produce their own electricity, but also to consume at lower prices the energy produced in such a community,” said Sebastian Burduja, Minister of Energy. “As part of this measure, we established the Working Group for the Development of Energy Communities in Romania. […] This initiative will not only bring a reduction in electricity costs and our dependence on traditional energy sources but will also help reduce energy poverty and open a new era of sustainability and energy autonomy for every Romanian.”
Indeed, the photovoltaic market in Romania has entered a new period of accelerated growth, driven by the current security context, the need for a green transition and a favourable regulatory framework.
With an average of 1,900 to 2,400 annual hours of sunlight, Romania has significant natural potential for solar photovoltaic development.
Following an analysis carried out by specialists from the Ministry of Energy, up to 680,000 kilowatts (kW) or 680 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic panels could be installed in Bucharest alone. To obtain such power, photovoltaic panels could be installed on all unused roofs. The production potential is almost 835 million kilowatt-hours (kWh). This electricity would be enough for about 695,000 homes.
The Ministry underlined that these numbers are idealistic and currently represent an order of magnitude, but they are still impressive.