Slovenia almost doubles number of self-consumption solar power units in 2020

There were 8,641 households, multi-apartment buildings, small businesses and energy communities in Slovenia with devices for self-consumption of electricity from renewable sources at the end of last year. The combined capacity surged to 103 MW in 2020 from 52 MW.

Amid changes in regulations and low costs of renewable energy equipment, the number of electricity production systems for self-consumption in Slovenia jumped last year to 8,641 from 4,684. The Energy Agency said in its annual report that the capacity surged to 103 MW from 52 MW.

Almost all the units in the category are photovoltaics. Their number also almost doubled in 2020, from 4,664 to 8,614. In comparison, there were only 131 self-consumption devices registered in 2016. The agency added it expects an expansion in systems built by energy communities, which have been almost non-existent so far.

An average self-consumption system, or self-sufficiency system, as it is officially called in Slovenia, has 11.9 kW in capacity. There are only 24 devices that use a water source and just three running on wind. No one installed a geothermal device or combined heat and power (CHP) system using renewables yet.

The category is for systems built by households, multi-apartment buildings, small businesses and energy communities that haven’t received any form of state support. The connection power can’t exceed 80% of the connection power of the rated power supply.

Slovenia has a yearly net metering scheme for owners and operators of self-consumption systems using renewables. The devices supply excess power to the distribution grid. They can spend it by the end of the calendar year, when the balance is reset to zero.