The first energy community in Hungary, capable of operation and officially registered, is being set up in the town of Bábolna, 90 km northwest of Budapest, according to Mayor Klára Horváth.

The energy community, a legal entity that focuses on social and environmental benefits, will include 60 households with solar panels, local council institutions with solar panels, a 340 kW solar park owned by IKR, a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) electric bus charger and a 50 kW gas engine powered by methane from the local spa, Horváth said.

The energy community, with a capacity of 1.5 MW, will sell its electricity to poultry processor OSI Food Solutions. Bábolna is complementing the community with a 100 kW battery storage unit to smooth out differences in supply and demand.

The consortium led by the local council has won HUF 300 million in funding to install solar panels and make investments to ensure the energy community’s smooth operation.