The Rise of Commercial Prosumers in South East Europe

This latest analysis, prepared for the leading Berlin-based think tank Agora Energiewende with the support of individual country experts, charts the current policy, regulatory, and electricity price landscape for companies actively investing in onsite solar generation in South East Europe. The market for onsite solar investments in the region is booming, a trend that is entering high gear with the recent surge in natural gas prices. Largely due to this spike in gas prices, average day-ahead electricity prices have soared throughout the region in recent months, increasing 4-fold since Q1:2021, and since many commercial electricity customers now have to purchase their electricity on the open market, these high prices are having significant effects on companies’ operations, and bottom line. At the same time, payback times for solar PV investments are now as low as three years in certain countries in the region, offering the potential not only for attractive returns but also for greater price stability.

The report provides a timely snapshot of the commercial prosumer market in the region, including policy highlights and an analysis of the current installed solar PV costs, and the cost of capital. It also features individual country profiles of Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, and Romania.

  • Year: 2020 – 2021