07/05/2026
๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฎ'๐ ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐: ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ฆ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ช๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ด๐บโ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐ถ๐.
With the amendments to the Law on Renewable Energy Sources in April 2023 and the subsequent changes to the Energy Law in 2024, the concept of the ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ (๐ฎ๐ธ๐๐ถ๐๐ป๐ถ ๐ธ๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ) was introduced into the regulatory framework.
While no longer "new" in legislative terms, the concept remains largely incomplete: without the necessary bylaws, it is neither operational nor capable of being tested in real market conditions.
๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ณ๐๐น๐น๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ.
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐บ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ด๐บ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐
Traditionally, Serbia's electricity systemโlike most legacy power systemsโhas been built around a model where system balancing is managed almost entirely on the supply side. Generators adjust output to follow demand, while consumers play a largely static role: they consume electricity without actively responding to system needs or market signals.
This model is increasingly misaligned with today's energy reality. With the growing share of renewable energy sources such as solar and windโby definition variable and weather-dependentโ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐น๐ฒ๐
๐ถ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐.
In that context, consumers are no longer expected to remain outside the market logic. Instead, they are expected to:
โช Adjust their consumption in response to price or system signals (demand response)
โช Optimize generation and consumption behind the meter
โช And provide flexibility servicesโindividually or via aggregatorsโto support grid operation
๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ท๐๐๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐โ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐.
๐ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ ๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ข๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ
Despite being embedded in primary legislation, the active customer model still lacks the necessary operational backbone. The missing piece is a comprehensive set of bylaws that would define how the system works in practice.
This includes:
โช Market access conditions
โช Settlement and compensation mechanisms
โช Technical and metering requirements
โช Aggregation rules
โช And the valuation of flexibility services
๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐, ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น.
The passage of time since 2023 only underscores this gap. What was introduced as a forward-looking reform has yet to translate into an actionable framework.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ: ๐๐ฎ๐๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ง๐๐ผ ๐ ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐
Parallel to the introduction of active customers, the role of the prosumer has been reshapedโthough not fully replaced. Previously, prosumersโespecially in the industrial sectorโwere seen as a cornerstone of renewable integration, with rights aligned with EU acquis principles on self-consumption.
However, the amendments brought notable changes:
โช The capacity threshold for prosumers was reduced to 150 kW
โช And the expectation was that active customers would become the dominant model going forward
That transition has not materialized. Instead, the market remains in a hybridโand constrainedโstate:
โช The prosumer model has been significantly curtailed
โช The active customer model is not yet operational
โช ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐
๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ฆ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ช๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป
The introduction of active customers reflects a clear strategic direction: a more flexible, decentralized, and participatory energy system.
But strategy alone is not enough. For this reform to move forward:
โช Secondary legislation must be adopted, without further delay, to enable real participation
โช Institutional and market readiness must be ensured, particularly in areas such as aggregation and flexibility trading
โช Regulatory clarity must be restored, especially regarding the coexistence of prosumers and active customers
โช Industry confidence must be rebuilt, by providing predictable and implementable rules
๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ
The concept of the active customer has the potential to significantly reshape Serbia's energy market. But today, it remains a concept waiting for ex*****on.
After more than two years since its introduction into law, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒโ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ.
At ๐ง๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐, we see strong and growing interest from industry players to move beyond static consumption. The readiness is there. The business case is emerging. ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ. This is why it is extremely important to include industry players and energy service providers in the efficient merits-based dialogue with the GoV and the relevant stakeholders.