No roof for a solar panel? Buy one at a park
''We wanted to make the solar energy available to every single household in Lithuania. And we took it to the extreme."
Lithuania’s solar parks are helping apartment-dwelling citizens power their houses with clean energy.
Residents can buy solar panels located in solar parks up to 30 miles away from home.
The ideal solution for those who want to be green, but don’t have the right to install panels on their shared roofs.
Andrius Kavaliauskas is head of the private client department at energy holding company Ignitis Group.
"We want to make the solar electricity available to the majority of the population so that is the main goal. Because before this platform the customers could only put the solar plant on their roof, but not everyone lives in houses. We have a lot, around half of the population living in apartments in Lithuania, and they have no ability to produce electricity from solar (plants) themselves.’’
The company says customers can make big savings using energy from the solar parks, with electricity bills slashed by up to 70%.
Vytautas Plunksnis bought a 1.5kW panel located at one such solar park.
"You invest upfront, but then for the next 20-25 years, you save on electricity costs. So, with this zero-interest-rate environment, it's a small but good investment. And another thing that you contribute to society so, basically there is less pollution because solar energy is one of the cleanest and the best sources of energy. So, you gain for yourself and society gains as well."
Customers have to pay fees for maintenance such as cleaning the panels and also to the national grid to bring electricity to their houses.
But for many, it’s still worth it.
"Because if you wanted to install on your rooftop, so it's a lot of work to do. You have to convince your neighbors, you have (to), you know, for yourself take care of this installation, find the suppliers and for me, it's easier that you know by paying money you get the solution."
Lithuania aims to get a third of the country receiving electricity from people's own solar panels by 2030. That's about 420,000 households.
