“With photovoltaics on the roof, I no longer depend on the electricity grid”

About ten days ago he announced with a tweet: “It is a great satisfaction to become self-sufficient and also wanting to be independent from the network”. In a moment of energy crisis and bills with worrying increasesas achieved by Luca Lombroso looks like the Eldorado. The meteorologist has in fact equipped his photovoltaic system on the condominium roof with a storage system and a hybrid inverter: in practice, produces the electricity it needs. All in a legal way and practicable by almost anyone. This is almost necessary, because in the meantime Lombroso is not just any citizen, but an expert on environmental issues (he has just published a new book, Beware of the weather. Tornadoes, floods, hail and lightning bolts for Edizioni Artestampa). And then he had some favorable circumstances from him.

Was it the higher energy prices that spurred you to further improve your photovoltaic system?
“No, it is above all an ethical question. I have been dealing with these issues for years, and for my part there is the sensitivity and awareness that the production of clean energy must be addressed beyond the contingent price increase and the convenience of renewables” .

Tell us step by step how you have assembled your self-sufficient plant. Where did he put the photovoltaic panel?
“On the condominium roof. I am lucky enough to live in a small condominium in Campo Galliano in the province of Modena. It is not secondary that it is a building that houses a few apartments, because when I communicated that I wanted to install the panel, the other tenants were a little skeptical, but they didn’t hinder me. Some asked: ‘but if I want to do it myself, is there room?’, or ‘but right above my apartment?’. But in the end we agreed, also because we checked with the surveyor that there would be room for everyone “.

It says “when I communicated” and not “asked”, why?
“There is a law of 2014 and a sentence of the Supreme Court (11707 of 7 October 2014, according to the provisions of article 1122-bis of the Civil Code, introduced by the reform of the condominium law 220/2012) which establish that no one, if you want creating a self-consumption system can prevent this. The joint assembly can only establish the modalities, but cannot oppose it “.

After the communication to the condominium, what was the bureaucratic process?
“The bureaucracy is rather complex, a simplification would be necessary and desirable, however the installer and the designer have taken care of the procedure with the energy supplier and the GSE,” manager of electrical services “and possibly, but I do not was necessary, at the municipality of residence “.

What technical characteristics does your system have?
“I already had a 3Kw system with 16 panels of about 25 m₂, but I didn’t have a storage system. Now I have added a hybrid inverter, which I placed in an attic above my apartment. From the beginning I had also installed a consumption monitoring device made by a Modena start-up, now I have a new one. The accumulation system with the hybrid inverter has the possibility, which few people know and which must be requested when it is purchased from the installers, to go “off-grid” thanks to the activation of the EPS, the energy power system: in when there is a network blackout, my system can continue to operate without introducing energy into the shared network “.

What does it ensure you in terms of production and consumption?
“Since we are only two in the family, we do not consume much electricity. But we use the washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, we have a refrigerator, heat pumps and all the bulbs are led. With the old monitoring system I calculated that from 2015 to 2021 I have produced an average of 3700kw per hour per year, which is more than the estimates I had made. With the new system I now get to reduce the withdrawals from the grid: from a theoretical point of view in the months of higher insolation I should have zero or almost zero absorption. from the manager from March to September. For now I have the data for October, which given this unusual climate is doing very well in terms of self-production of energy and also of lower consumption. From mid-November to mid-February I estimate that I could depend on energy of the network only for 40%, in practice I would buy from the operator in a year only 500kwh “.

The building intervention

In Pinerolo the first condominium that produces and consumes its energy

by our correspondent Cristina Nadotti

October 17, 2022

Was it difficult to find the system and have it installed?
“Living in a small town has many advantages, including the fact of being able to rely on a company with which, in fact, I collaborated both for the orders, and to study which was the best system and then how it worked. I ordered the plant in May and arrived in September “.

How much did you spend?
“About 8 thousand euros. The first plant without accumulation benefited from a tax deduction of 50%. I spent about 200 euros for the exchange on the spot and the last upgrade cost me 8 thousand euros, but also here with the deduction of 50%. Probably those who do it from scratch can spend a little less “.

And how much did you save?
“The bills are very low but not zeroed. Saying how much I have saved in recent years is complicated, certainly I have already paid off the first system. However, I repeat, there is not only a choice dictated by the logic of saving: in my case if I had to choose between buying a motorcycle or a car and the system I chose this, also with the intention of zeroing my ecological footprint with respect to electricity consumption. Certainly when I switch to a prosumer rate I will arrive at bills a few tens of euros “.

Is everything solved from the bureaucratic point of view?
“The start-up of the plant was communicated with self-certification to GSE and ENEL, who can accept it or come and check”.

What advice would you give to those who want to follow his example?
“First of all to inquire about what best suits your home and apartment. Just to give an idea, getting the cable down from me was easy, because the apartment is attic, while my friend and neighbor had some more problems. Then, we are not in a historic center, so there was no need to ask for other authorizations. Again, in the first phase, even if the law allows it, we have to discuss a bit and elbowing, the bigger the condominium the more this could be a problem, because the law does not indicate how to distribute the spaces. collective ‘helps a lot. Another fundamental aspect is to be clear about the reasons for this choice. I repeat, it is an economic choice, because it is necessary to foresee that the cost of energy undergoes considerable fluctuations and because energy is not always available. but it is above all an ethical and resilient choice “.