Moldova’s first energy communities to boost local energy use
The first energy communities are expected to be established and tested in the Republic of Moldova starting this year.
This innovative concept for our country enables members to collaboratively build a power plant using renewable energy sources and consume the energy produced within the community. The development of this initiative is being supported by several external partners, who have also contributed to drafting a regulatory framework for the operation of energy communities.
Individuals, legal entities, local authorities, small and medium-sized enterprises, or homeowners' associations can come together to form an energy community. The goal of these communities is to bring economic, social, and environmental benefits, rather than financial profit.
By using locally produced energy, the efficiency of energy resources is maximized, and renewable energy stays within the community, bypassing the energy supplier, said Victoria Ivancioglo, a representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in an interview on the "Zi de zi" (Day-by-Day) show on Radio Moldova.
"It is now much more convenient for the energy generated by the photovoltaic system to be used immediately when it is produced, rather than being sent to the grid at a very low price and later bought back at a much higher price," said the UNDP representative.
The development of these communities is financially supported by international partners, including USAID Moldova, UNDP Moldova, the German Energy Agency (DENA), and the INTERREG Danube Region program, according to the Ministry of Energy.
According to the institution, UNDP Moldova will provide $100,000 grants each to pilot the first two energy communities, while DENA supports eight localities with customized concepts for forming these entities.
"We aim to learn from Austria’s experience, which has over 2,000 functional energy communities. We will pilot the first communities, identify any shortcomings in implementing this concept, and through the UNDP’s call to pilot these two energy communities, we will provide full support to the organizations leading the pilot projects," concluded Victoria Ivancioglo.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
