Estonia's first community solar park opens in Setomaa, Obinitsa

Estonia's first community solar park has been inaugurated in Obinitsa, Setomaa, as part of the international StartSun project. The 62 kW solar installation was built by the energy community Oma Elekter and includes battery storage. The project aims to boost energy independence in rural areas and serve as a model for other communities across the Baltic Sea region.

Estonia's first community solar park has officially opened in Obinitsa, Setomaa, marking a milestone in the country's push for rural energy independence. The park was developed within the framework of the international StartSun project, in which the Estonian University of Life Sciences plays a key role.

Community-driven energy initiative

The solar park was established by the energy community Oma Elekter, which has 15 members. The installation has a capacity of 62 kW and is complemented by an inverter and a battery storage solution, enabling the community to manage its own electricity supply more reliably.

Elis Vollmer, project manager at the Estonian University of Life Sciences and communications lead for the StartSun project, highlighted the significance of the achievement. «The Obinitsa solar park is a great example of how local initiative and cooperation lead to sustainable and functional energy solutions. We hope that the experience here will encourage other regions to form energy communities,» she said.

Lessons for rural energy communities

The Obinitsa pilot project is designed to shed light on the key factors behind successfully launching energy communities. Nele Ivask, an energy communities expert at the Tartu Regional Energy Agency and adviser to the Obinitsa project, noted that «the solutions tested in Obinitsa provide a better overview of the technical, organisational, and economic issues that communities face when organising energy production.»

Small-scale, decentralised energy production of this kind is seen as a way to strengthen energy security in rural areas and increase communities' self-sufficiency, a priority that has gained urgency across the Baltic region in recent years.

Baltic Sea region collaboration

The Interreg StartSun project aims to support the creation of energy communities and the uptake of renewable energy across the Baltic Sea region. It brings together partners from Estonia, Latvia, Sweden, and Finland, and helps local governments, communities, and businesses develop community-based renewable energy solutions.

In Estonia, pilot activities are taking place in two locations: Obinitsa in Setomaa and Kääpa in Jõgevamaa, where different small-scale energy production models are being tested. The Estonian University of Life Sciences and the Tartu Regional Energy Agency are supporting the development of these pilots. The initiative also includes the creation of practical guides and tools for setting up energy communities.

The StartSun project runs until October 2026 and is funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme.