This morning, July 1, a wood-burning stove and a solar panel appeared in front of the Council of Ministers building in Sofia as part of a demonstration organised by Greenpeace.
The activists from Greenpeace Bulgaria called on the government to address the issue of energy poverty.
The organisation is advocating for the eaying of procedures for installing balcony solar panels, proposing this as an alternative to government subsidies for the purchase of solid fuels.
According to Greenpeace calculations, over BGN 800 million in aid has been spent over the past five years—80% of which went toward purchasing firewood.
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“A balcony solar system installed in a household can reduce annual electricity bills by up to 30%. Interestingly, when households install such systems, they become much more aware of their energy consumption—how much their appliances use—and often change their habits to consume energy when it is being produced,” said Desislava Mikova, Climate and Energy Expert at Greenpeace Bulgaria.