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Description
The aim of the project is to carry out a series of advocacy steps for the development of Renewable Energy Capacity (RE) for residential subscribers in a consumer-generator context. The enormous potential of solar energy that could benefit a large part of Bulgarian households to meet their energy needs is being wasted. The problems are rooted in a cumbersome and complicated regulatory framework.
As a result of the project implementation, we foresee an improved regulatory framework and increased interest from households or co-operatives to install RES to meet their own energy needs. It is important that the general public and responsible politicians understand that the installation of RES does not only mean large-scale power plants made by big investors, but that the production of electricity from RES at the household level is not a utopia.
The partner organisations Public Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development and Green Laws will monitor and analyse the current legislative and administrative acts affecting changes to the Energy Act (EA), Renewable Energy Act (REA). As a result of the analyses, possible improvements will be proposed to accelerate the transition of the Bulgarian energy sector towards a mix dominated by diverse renewable energy sources. The project also includes meetings with experts and public discussions with government representatives and relevant parliamentary committees. Conducting five public discussions (meetings) for the public to discuss the possibilities of installing capacity, cooperating producers, combining agriculture with solar, etc. All meetings held will be webcast and recorded. The recordings will subsequently be processed into short videos and podcasts that will be disseminated on partners'' social channels.
The current project is also particularly important in the context of Bulgaria''s urgent need to diversify its energy sources. A need created by the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Summary of project results
Тhe aim of the project is to carry out a series of advocacy steps for the development of Renewable Energy Capacity (RE) for residential subscribers in a consumer-generator context. The enormous potential of solar energy that could benefit a large part of Bulgarian households to meet their energy needs is being wasted. The problems are rooted in a cumbersome and complicated regulatory framework.
The project promoter prepared analyses of legal texts, of effective practices and the experience of individual players. Two meetings were held with institutions (including representatives of the energy commission in the Parliament and of municipal mayors) and five discussion meetings with stakeholders were organised in different cities of the country. An online advocacy campaign was conducted and 4 success story videos were published.
The knowledge the project accumulated about the possibilities of using RES for domestic purposes was systematized and legal texts were created to regulate the installation and management of energy for own needs by households, as well as the cooperation of citizens in the production of electrical energy. These texts are up-to-date and can be used for changes in the Energy Law, the Law on Energy from Renewable Sources, as well as for changes to a number of regulations. The project created tools for conducting an online advocacy campaign, which will be used after the end of the project.
Permanent partnerships on the subject with other NGOs have also been established. The developed road map remains relevant as a tool that can illuminate the need for changes in the Bulgarian legislation regarding the production of energy by the household to meet its own energy needs.
The project partner contributed to the project with its experience on conducting advocacy campaigns on environmental legislation and its contacts and channels to work with representatives of the institutions involving them in the discussions of the project.