More than 4,000 generating installations and 3,500 consumption points already share electricity in Czechia

More than 4,000 generating installations and 3,500 consumption points are sharing electricity in Czechia. In September, they shared more than 150 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity, equivalent to the monthly consumption of almost 500 households. Customers are most interested in sharing electricity across one or more properties they own. The Electricity Data Centre (EDC) told the Czech News Agency (ČTK). Those interested in sharing electricity have been able to register with the centre since August, and actual sharing has been taking place since September.

The EDC began operating in early August, and around 8,000 people interested in sharing electricity registered in its first month. In September, the number of registration applications rose to almost 10.500, and the number of generating installations exceeded 8,000. However, the centre noted that around half of the installations were still undergoing approval, so by the end of September 7,062 participants had signed a contract with the EDC.

The number of signed contracts is expected to continue growing in the coming months, according to the EDC. However, with autumn and the lower output of solar power plants, the centre expects the share of electricity being shared to decline. „We expect a more significant increase, as well as registrations of energy communities, with the arrival of spring,“ said EDC head Petr Kusý.

Households, local authorities and businesses can take part in community energy under two schemes. The simpler active customer scheme allows electricity to be shared between up to 11 delivery points across Czechia. Another option is energy communities, which can include up to 1,000 delivery points within a contiguous area covering the administrative districts of no more than three municipalities with extended powers, or in Prague. A general requirement for sharing is that all consumption points are equipped with smart meters.

Distributors have also seen interest in electricity sharing. „The number of visits by distribution company technicians more than tripled compared with August. Of the 2,050 applications received, they successfully completed 1,346. However, in about a third of cases they still encountered obstacles that prevented the installation of a smart meter,“ said Marian Rusko, chair of the board of the Czech Association of Regulated Electricity Companies. He reminded those interested that they should check whether they meet the connection requirements.

The Electricity Data Centre is currently operating in a temporary mode that enables electricity sharing within community energy schemes between active customers, electricity producers and energy communities. Full operation, which will also include electricity storage and aggregation services, is planned to begin in mid-2026.

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