More households and companies in Serbia are choosing to become prosumers—electricity buyers who also produce their own power—offering savings on bills and helping reduce pollution, according to the Center for Environmental Improvement.
Jelena Stojković Terzić from the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Electrical Engineering, co-author of a study on prosumers, emphasized the benefits of this model: it decentralizes electricity production, enhances supply security, stabilizes prices, and allows citizens to actively participate in the energy market.
However, the growth of prosumers faces regulatory, institutional, economic, social, and technical challenges, including:
- Restrictive and inconsistent legal frameworks
- Complex administrative procedures
- Limited institutional support and coordination
- High initial costs and restricted access to subsidies
- Low awareness and public resistance
- Outdated infrastructure and insufficient system digitization
The study recommends steps to simplify administrative procedures, accelerate grid connections, and improve citizen access to production, including:
- Digitization via a centralized electronic platform
- Increasing the allowed capacity for solar power installations
- Extending incentive schemes such as net metering and optimizing subsidies
Long-term measures include modernizing the distribution network, installing smart meters, developing energy storage, and integrating prosumers into grid balancing, enabling more citizens to safely and efficiently produce electricity for their own needs.
