– He was a little angry yesterday, because the weather was bad then.
Marion Anderson Garavalo laughs and looks away at her husband Gennaro, who has his eyes fixed on the power app on his phone.
In it, he has a complete overview of the daily electricity production and private consumption, after the couple installed the solar cells in January of this year.
– We may have arrived a little earlier than anyone else, but the decision was made because prices are rising, they say.
So far this year, more people have applied for support to build solar cells in their homes than in the whole of last year.
The solar panels on the Lier couple’s roof can be seen above the fence from the neighbor’s plot.
Photo: Kristen Granbow/NRK
134% increase
After the surge in electricity prices last fall, this has had a noticeable impact on the demand for private solar systems in Norway.
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Enova, which distributes financial support to private utilities, has already approved more applications than it has approved in the entire past year.
Anna Barnwell of Enova says that applications and the distribution of financial support for self-production of electricity have increased this year.
Photo: Morten Andersen / NRK
So far this year, there has been a 134% increase in orders placed, compared to 2021, says Anna Barnwell, marketing director for service provision and end use at Enova.
So far this year they have 1954 cases approved to support solar cell systems in private homesLast year, the number was 1468 at the end of the year. So far in 2022, they have distributed more than 50 million to create private solar cells.
Earlier this year They have increased their support for those who want to produce electricity themselvesPrivate customers can now get up to 47,500 NOK for the setup of the solar cells.
Solar company Otovo confirms the development. They say demand tripled almost overnight in September 2021.
– The level remained at that high throughout the fall and winter and increased throughout the spring and summer, says Otovo manager Andreas Thorsheim for NRK.
They say that the demand in Europe is also high, and the waiting time for delivery and collection has increased.
– Last year you could install solar cells in 3-6 months, now it takes 6-9 months, in some places even longer.
Take a shower and put it in the washing machine when the sun is shining
In the house of Marion and Gennaro Garavalo, they are self-sufficient in electricity when the sun rises.
This results in charging the electric car, taking care to use the washing machine and hot water when the weather is clear.
Gennaro Garafalo can track electricity production from solar cells and consumption at home from an app on his phone.
Photo: Kristen Granbow/NRK
– We try to think about it a little bit, when we shower and when we use electricity around the house.
The investment has given the couple greater control over what they spend and what they have left, they say.
If they produce more than they themselves use, they can sell. This makes them called In addition to electricity customers.
More than 10,000 customers
According to Solar Energy Cluster, a national business group for the solar industry in Norway, there are no exact numbers on how many private homes in Norway have installed solar panels.
But NVE statistics on plus customers It gives a small indication, says the Managing Director of the Solar Energy Group, Trine Koepstad-Bernzen.
It shows that there are now just over 10,000 clients in Norway, 85% of whom are households.
Berentsen believes the potential is not being used well enough.
– In total, Norway has approx. 4 million buildings. This means that if we had more than 10,000 customers with solar cells, we would have used 0.25% of the building’s total inventory.
Can cover two thirds of consumption
solar block It regulates 95 percent of everyone who deals with solar energy in Norway.
According to their calculations, an ordinary solar cell system in a private house will cost between 100,000 and 200,000 NOK. It will produce 7,000 to 20,000 kWh per year for thirty years, depending to some extent on where the facility is located in the country.
Enough to cover between one-third and two-thirds of consumption in the average household.
She adds that all homes are different, and profitability is also affected by where you live.
There is most money to be made in eastern Norway and southern Norway, but there is also money being saved on solar cells in Inland Norway and southwestern Norway.
If it continues, the entire roof must be filled
The one-time cost of setting up the solar panels had a huge impact on the Lier couple’s finances.
The package they went to cost NOK 100,000 and with Enova’s support of NOK 19,000, the total expenditure was NOK 79,000.
– This is a long-term investment, but we feel we have already saved on it because the current is too high.
Marion Garavalo says she is considering installing more solar panels on the roof if electricity prices continue at the same level.
Photo: Kristen Granbow/NRK
From January to now, according to their own calculations, they have saved nearly 8000 NOK.
– We started with 16 panels but we regret a little bit that we didn’t fill the ceiling. If electricity prices continue like this, we should fill the entire roof, says Marion Garavalo.
Anna Barnwell of Enova says the point of the support they’re distributing is that in the long run, it will make the technology available to more people.
We support those who take the lead so that these solutions are long-term, affordable, and competitive.
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