Improvement of the organizational and legal mechanism of state regulation of electricity output from renewable sources by households in Ukraine

The article examines directions for improving the organizational and legal mechanism of state regulation of electricity generation from renewable energy sources by households in Ukraine, which determined the article's aim. Ukraine’s 2030 National economic strategy anticipates the target of consumption of 25% of renewable energy.  The article briefly touches upon the European experience with the spread of renewable energy communities, in particular in Austria and Spain. As envisaged by the draft of Ukraine’s 2030 National Renewable Energy Action Plan, the available and planned installed capacities of household solar power plants have been determined. As anticipated by the Plan, utilizing solar energy potential would require up to UAH 49 billion of investments by 2030. It would lead to a growth of jobs in installing, operating, and maintaining solar facilities. Using a descriptive research method, the article examines the primary European legislation in the field of renewable energy communities and other forms of citizen associations, which can relate to both households and renewable energy cooperatives. The analysis of domestic experience showed that people living in multi-apartment buildings have rather limited opportunities to become active participants in the electricity market from renewable sources, for which it is necessary to expand the existing legislation. The difference between the renewable energy communities and renewable energy prosumers is explained. Various types of obstacles (eg., legislative, financial, organizational and others) to introducing renewable energy communities in Ukraine and possible ways to overcome them are also considered. The article also envisages the necessity to start the regional programs aimed at the increased energy output by households, by means of introducing the financial programs and enhancing the capacity building. The obtained results can be applied in the formation of state policy in the field of increasing production and use of energy from renewable sources, as well as in general in shaping the energy and environmental policy of the country.