Elektrilevi won a tender organized by the Lithuanian network operator ESO to obtain off-grid solutions. As like Elektrilevi, ESO wants to test grid-free or off-grid solutions to supply electricity in very sparsely populated areas with limited power supply.

“In 2016 we tested for the first time these kind of off-grid solutions for supplying electricity to 4 different households in Estonia. Now the biggest network operator in Lithuania wants to do the same and use the Elektrilevi off-grid solution what is worked out by Estonian engineers” said Roland Murakas, Product Manager of Elektrilevi.

In total, ESO acquires two off-grids with installation. Total value of the contract is just under 100,000 €. One solution will be supplying the main and summer buildings of Zemaitija National Park and the other one will go to private consumers in Prienai county where two households needs to be supplied with electricity whole year around.

"Our pilot projects and experiments so far have shown that the off-grid station is well suited for summer houses with seasonal consumption and as well for mid-size domestic households with all-year consumption" said Murakas.

“ESO was looking for an innovative solution for providing electricity according to quality standards in distant locations without having to invest in lines refurbishment. Elektrilevi provided us with the most economical offer and we are looking forward to cooperate with another DSO from the Baltic states,” said Renaldas Radvila, ESO’s Services Director.

In the case of an off-grid, electricity supply does not arrive by the power grid, but all the electricity needed for the household is produced all year round on the spot. The off-grid includes solar panels, a smart control system with a battery bank, and a backup generator that runs on average about less than 10 percent of the time.

Elektrilevi Offgrid at Maamess 2019.

The off-grid is meant to be used in sparsely populated areas where there is no power grid, or it needs to be fully renovated. Compared to the establishment of standard power lines, it is possible to have a cheaper solution for the use of annual electricity supply.

“Despite the fact that Estonia is quite well covered with the power grid, we actually have several households, for whom today the off-grid solution is a much more sensible than building new lines,” said Murakas.

“At the same time, we can see that Elektrilevi's off-grid solution has good potential outside Estonia. Lithuania is the first successful example, but we also see good opportunities in the Nordic countries, where the power of sparsely populated areas is even higher,” he added.

Elektrilevi is the largest network operator in Estonia, managing approximately 60,000 kilometers of power lines and 24,000 substations. In addition, Elektrilevi operates a street lighting network in Tallinn and Tartu and builds a fast Internet network covering the whole of Estonia.