The first solar-powered apartment building in Stockholm is now one year old. The tenants moved in in August 2019 and now - a year later - it turns out that self-sufficiency has worked beyond expectations.
- The houses produce more electricity on an annual basis than they consume. We have even been able to sell some surplus electricity, says Mona Norbäck who is responsible for energy at the municipal housing company Stockholmshem, which built the houses.
Stockholmshem, which owns approximately 27,000 rental apartments in Stockholm, aims for ten percent of electricity use to come from solar energy by 2040.
- As soon as we build new homes, we check if it is profitable to set up solar cells. Several existing properties in, for example, Sätra, Hökarängen and Hammarby lake town have also received solar panels, says Mona Norbäck.
It is expensive to install solar panels, but according to Mona Norbäck, it is an investment that pays off in the long run because electricity costs are reduced.
- The solar cells have become both better and cheaper and the batteries where the solar energy is stored have become more efficient.