Solar power generated from apartment building rooftops is not financially beneficial for residents if used only to cover common area electricity costs.
In Serbia, renting out rooftops for solar panel installation is a growing trend—not only by building residents but also by neighbors interested in producing and consuming electricity locally, provided all legal approvals and resident consents are obtained.
Dejan Vasić from Beogradska Distribucija explains that many requests have been made by residents to rent roofs for solar panel installation to cover their own consumption and potentially feed surplus energy back into the grid. However, in Belgrade, usable rooftop space is limited—typically about 30-50% of the total area remains free after accounting for air conditioners, chimneys, and other obstructions. This limits the potential solar capacity to around 1,200–1,300 kW, which, when divided among residents, results in modest energy availability.
Most of this energy could only cover common electricity needs like lighting and elevators. Yet, since some buildings have electric heating systems or no elevators at all, the overall cost-effectiveness of such investments is questionable.
Draško Ražnatović, head of the Association of Professional Building Managers in Belgrade, emphasizes that shared electricity consumption in residential buildings is generally low due to energy-efficient LED lighting, with monthly bills only a few euros. Only buildings with electric car chargers see higher consumption. This means the return on investment for rooftop solar is debatable. Renting rooftops to external producers might be a simpler and more viable option.
Ražnatović also highlights the challenges of coordinating many residents and the fact that apartment buildings rarely generate as much benefit as single-family homes with solar panels. Unlike some Western European countries where such cooperation is easier, current Serbian regulations and social dynamics make widespread adoption slow.
Ivana Đorđević from Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) points out that 60% of solar customers with installations larger than 10 kW have oversized their systems and feed excess energy into the grid without compensation. She advises households not to install panels larger than 10 kW, as it’s usually not profitable.
The key message is to make smart investment decisions focusing on producing and consuming energy locally where it’s generated. EPS representatives also question why producers who generate surplus green energy cannot sell all their excess to EPS and receive payment as done in most European countries, where surplus electricity is compensated at market prices.
