Solara Star cooperative solar power plants in the villages of Dojkinci and Temska on Stara planina are connected to the electricity distribution network and are ready to produce green electricity, announced the energy cooperative Elektropionir.
According to Ana Džokić from Elektropionir, Solarna Stara is an initiative driven by a double motivation – the first motive was to point out that in the area of Stara Planina, derivation mini-hydroelectric plants should not be built, but renewable energy sources that work for the benefit of the community and nature. Another motive was to demonstrate in practice that united citizens can plan and implement such projects, thus turning in a positive direction the energy that gathered them against something.
The annual income from the sale of electricity will be used for projects proposed by the local community of these old mountain villages.
Energy cooperative Elektropionir, with the help of the local community from Temska and Dojkinac, the City of Pirot and citizens, organizations and companies who donated money, equipment and work, completed the pioneering undertaking of building and commissioning the first cooperative power plants in Serbia.
During the implementation of Solarna Stara, a lot of time and energy, as they say from Elektropionir, took complicated procedures, the simplification of which would facilitate and democratize energy production, and thus speed up the fight against climate change and pollution.
Exactly two years ago, in July 2022, the donor campaign ended, during which the Elektropionir Energy Cooperative and 229 donors collected money for the construction of two five-kilowatt solar power plants. The successful campaign was followed by the creation of project-technical documentation, the procurement of equipment and the signing of a contract with the City of Pirot. In July 2023, solar power plants were installed on the buildings of the cultural center in Dojkinci and the local community in Temska.
From the installation of the solar power plants to the production of the first kilowatts, a year passed, during which various certificates and solutions were obtained and obtained. The first contract for the purchase of electricity from cooperative solar power plants in Serbia was signed, and the long process ended two days ago with the signing of the Agreement on access to the distribution system of electricity producers.
“We believe that the procedures for connecting small solar power plants to the grid, such as the case with Solarna Stara, for which the procedure lasted almost a year and a half, should be revised. Projects that work for the public interest must be connected according to a much faster and simpler procedure, and with the payment of much lower fees, so that they are not meaningless,” said Saša Petrović from Elektropionir.
Elektropionir continues to work on demonstrable examples of energy in the hands of citizens. After the first agrosolar power plant Solarna berba, installed in February at the organic farm Organela near Valjevo, the next venture is Solarni Zmaj – a cooperative solar power plant on the roof of an elementary school in Ruma, the implementation of which will involve the school and wider community.
Energy portal
Source: energetskiportal.rs
