Azerbaijani citizens can earn money by selling surplus electricity generated by their own systems to state-owned electricity distribution company Azerishiq after meeting their household needs, Deputy Energy Minister Elnur Soltanov has said.
Speaking on Wednesday at the ninth Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Dialogue in Baku, Soltanov said Azerbaijan had already established an “active consumer” framework that allows citizens to generate electricity for their own consumption and earn income from excess production.
“We already have a concept called the ‘active consumer,’ and the foundations for it are in place. Every citizen, whether a legal entity or an individual, can generate up to 150 kilowatts of electricity for their household or company. That is a very large amount. There is practically no household that consumes that much electricity; it is equivalent to around 300 solar panels,” the deputy minister said.
According to Soltanov, consumers can sell any electricity they generate beyond their needs to Azerishiq and receive payment for it.
“They can use as much electricity as they need and sell the surplus to Azerishiq to earn money. This is already possible. Anyone can visit Azerishiq today, submit an application and begin the process,” he emphasized.
Soltanov said Azerbaijan currently has nearly 1,800 active consumers, more than 95% of whom are located in Karabakh.
“Nearly 1,800 active consumers are currently operating in Azerbaijan, and more than 95% of them are in Karabakh. The vast majority of our residents there generate electricity for their own consumption and sell the surplus to Azerishiq to earn income. This demonstrates the practical implementation of our country's efforts to establish a ‘green energy zone’ in Karabakh,” he said.
The deputy minister noted that the activities of these consumers form part of broader efforts to establish Karabakh as a green energy zone.
According to Soltanov, active consumers across Azerbaijan currently generate approximately 8 megawatts of electricity through this mechanism.
He also addressed the payback period for investments in solar energy systems, saying that the initial investment typically takes seven to eight years to recover.
After that period, consumers can continue earning income by selling surplus electricity to Azerishiq, he added.
Soltanov said the mechanism encourages greater public participation in the transition to green energy while expanding the use of renewable energy sources across the country.
