Business Forum • 17 April, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Prosumers in Romania are advised to turn off the inverters of their residential photovoltaic systems if they are not at home, as authorities announced that the grid will have to be balanced considering the high energy supply compared to lower-than-normal consumption during the Easter holiday.
Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja said that energy consumption during Easter Sunday will average 2,500 MW. By contrast, Romania's consumption on Thursday at 11 AM stood at close to 5,600 MW.
“The biggest challenge is the fact that Romania's situation is similar to that of many European countries,” said the minister, adding that there is no risk of an electricity blackout in the country.
Meanwhile, the Association of Prosumers and Energy Consumers (APCE) in Romania called on prosumers to turn off the safety inverters for photovoltaic panels if they are not at home, while adding that the real challenge is posed by solar projects with a capacity under 5 MW.
APCE data shows that prosumers can contribute up to 30% of the solar energy in the country during a sunny day.
To mitigate any risks to the grid, state-owned hydropower producer Hidroelectrica will cut its production, while state-owned nuclear producer Nuclearelectrica could also lower output. A similar move could be made by Elcen, which produces thermal energy and electricity in Bucharest.
Meanwhile, the Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Association (RPIA), which represents investors with an installed capacity of 2.6 GW, said that the country should continue its investments in storage facilities as well as in the transport and distribution infrastructure.
“What might seem like a challenge – too much energy produced in our country from renewable sources – is, in reality, evidence of the green transition's success. In less than three years, solar energy has become an essential component of the national energy mix, and the system's capacity to integrate intermittent production from renewable sources is continuously improving,” said the RPIA in a statement.