The first energy community in Sofia is being created

A 75 kW photovoltaic installation is to be put into operation on the roof of 2nd Secondary School “Acad. Emilian Stanev” – the heart of the first energy community in Sofia. The project will be implemented through a partnership between the Vitosha district, citizens, and companies with a total budget of BGN 90,000. After 10 years, ownership of the plant will be transferred to the municipality, and its electricity will power the school and other municipal facilities.

The project was unanimously approved by the Sofia City Council, and the report was submitted by the Deputy Mayor for Ecology, Nadezhda Bobcheva, the Mayor of the Vitosha district, architect Zarko Klinkov, and representatives of several political groups. Although this is the first such project in Sofia, similar initiatives already exist in other parts of Bulgaria.

Although this is the first such project in Sofia, similar initiatives already exist elsewhere in Bulgaria. In Gabrovo, the first large energy community with a capacity of nearly 100 kWp was announced, and in Burgas, the municipality plans to build a solar power plant through citizen participation. There are similar examples in small towns, but administrative and legal barriers still hinder their wider spread.

In Europe, energy communities have long been part of the energy landscape – they allow citizens to produce, consume, and even trade electricity. They are also one of the EU's tools for decentralizing the energy sector and achieving climate goals.

Translated with DeepL.