Rising electricity prices and increased environmental awareness have prompted many communities to ask themselves: is it worth installing solar panels on our building?
The short answer is yes, it is profitable. With the right installation, a community can reduce its electricity bill by 30% to 50%, shorten payback periods to less than 5 years and benefit from grants and tax credits.
In this article we analyze key cost-effectiveness factors, economic, environmental and social benefits, as well as real examples and available subsidies.
How much can be saved with solar panels in a community?
According to studies by the OCU and data from IDAE, the installation of solar panels in neighborhood communities can generate:
- Reduction of network consumption: between 40% and 60%.
- Savings in electricity bills: between 30% and 50% per year.
- Amortization period: between 3 and 7 years, depending on the initial investment and applied subsidies.
Example: a community of 20 residents with a 20 kW system can save from 200 to 500 euros per dwelling per year, which means between 4,000 and 10,000 euros per year for the building as a whole.
Factors influencing profitability
The profitability of the installation will depend on:
- Available space on the roof: the larger the usable area, the more panels can be installed.
- Number of dwellings and energy consumption: communities with elevators, garages, swimming pools or common air conditioning save more.
- Technical design of the installation: orientation, inclination, shading and quality of the equipment.
- Electricity prices: the more the kWh rises, the more profitable self-consumption becomes.
- Local subsidies and grants: they can reduce the initial investment by up to 40-50%.
What happens with surplus energy?
It is not very common to generate large surpluses in neighborhood communities, since the aggregate consumption is usually high. However, there are solutions:
- Surplus compensation: selling surplus energy to the distributor (if the contract allows it).
- Virtual batteries: save surplus energy in the form of an economic balance to compensate for future consumption (e.g. winter).
- Physical battery storage: still expensive, but increasingly viable in community projects.
Example of actual profitability
Let’s imagine a community that installs a 20 kW system at a cost of 20,000 €.
- Grant received: 40% (€8,000).
- Net investment: €12,000.
- Annual savings: €2,400.
Amortization period: 5 years.
Total savings in 25 years (useful life): 48,000 €.
Additional advantages of installing solar panels in communities
In addition to the direct savings, installing solar panels offers extra benefits:
- Cost sharing: the initial investment is distributed among all the neighbors.
- Integration with aerothermics: allows to feed common efficient air conditioning systems.
- Charging points for electric vehicles: possibility of installing chargers in communal garages.
- Increased property value: more energy-efficient buildings are more attractive in the real estate market.
- Carbon footprint reduction: contributes to climate objectives and local sustainability.
Steps to install solar panels in a community
- Conduct an energy feasibility study (consumption, available cover, shading).
- Agree on the project at a neighborhood meeting (simple majority in many cases).
- Choose the shared self-consumption modality and define the energy sharing.
- Apply for subsidies and tax credits.
- Hire a specialized installation company.
- Implement the system and monitor results.
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The installation of solar panels in neighborhood communities is profitable: it reduces electricity consumption, lowers the bill, amortizes the investment in a few years and generates benefits for decades. In addition, with the addition of tax incentives and subsidies, the initial economic barrier is lower and lower.
If you want to study the feasibility of installing solar panels in your community, please consult our service of installation of energetic communities. We help you in the whole process, from the initial study to the management of subsidies and implementation.