Selling Your Own Electricity Is Getting Easier
1. October 2026
Selling Your Own Electricity Is Getting Easier
Energy. Starting October 1, “peer-to-peer energy sharing” will be permitted. Unlike energy communities, P2P contracts also allow you to make a profit. You’ll also benefit from reduced grid fees.
By David Kotrba
Sharing renewable energy among households and businesses is very popular in Austria. The number of renewable energy communities (EEG), citizen energy communities (BEG), and community-based generation facilities (GEA) has grown rapidly in recent years. Hundreds of thousands of households are already part of such a community. On October 1, two new models will be added to the existing ones: Peer-to-Peer Energy Sharing (P2P) and self-supply systems (EVA).
Sell the surplus
Both new models promise to make sharing electricity even easier. However, with P2P contracts, this can now be done for profit for the first time. Energy communities are not allowed to operate for profit. “For businesses, P2P contracts are a much more attractive model,” says energy law expert Hafize Stöhr of the law firm PHH. She gives an example of how it works: “A business owner in Lower Austria has installed a photovoltaic system on the roof. His business needs the electricity during operating hours from Monday through Friday. On the weekends, he can sell the electricity to a restaurant in the neighborhood.” Interest is high. Stöhr: “We’re getting a lot of inquiries.”
A producer can enter into a P2P contract with a consumer, but there can also be multiple consumers and even multiple producers. If the parties are geographically close, they also receive a reduction in grid fees. However, while an energy community requires the establishment of an association or a cooperative, this obligation does not apply to P2P. “No legal entity is required for this. You simply enter into a civil law contract,” says Stöhr. Generators and consumers can set the electricity price as they wish; it can even be zero. Entering into the contract should be straightforward. The Austrian Coordination Office for Energy Communities provides sample contracts.
Outsource the organization
However, producers will need to familiarize themselves a bit with the topic of data transmission and communicate with their grid operator. If that seems too complicated, they can also outsource these tasks to a so-called “organizer.” This third party could be, for example, an energy service provider that is paid for this service.
In practice, however, there will be a few challenges. Initially, all contracting parties must be connected to the same grid operator. P2P is expected to be possible across multiple grid areas starting in April 2027. As a general rule, a generator may only sell electricity from a single facility with a maximum capacity of six megawatts. If the facility is larger, only a portion of it may be used for a contract. This is an advantage for large companies. They are not permitted to participate in renewable energy communities. However, P2P Energy Sharing is open to them.
As soon as a power generation facility has a capacity of more than 100 kilowatts, it must comply with what are known as “light supplier obligations,” explains Stöhr. These include, for example, establishing general terms and conditions of supply and complying with certain invoicing requirements.
Send Electricity with EVA
The second model, which will be introduced on October 1, is the self-supply system (EVA). “A company might have, for example, a PV system at a location in Vienna and a branch in Lower Austria. The electricity from the Vienna location that is not consumed can be sent to the other location via the public grid,” Stöhr explains the operating principle. Depending on which grid level is used, the user pays only a reduced grid fee.
This is a great opportunity for companies with multiple locations. However, electricity can only be shared between companies within a corporate group via P2P, not via EVA.
Meanwhile, Austrian Power Grid (APG) aims to use the existing power grid more efficiently to meet rising electricity demand. With the help of sensors, weather-dependent overhead line operation, and new carbon cables, the transmission capacity of overhead lines can be increased by up to 50 percent, thereby reducing grid bottlenecks.
“You don’t need a legal entity for that. You simply enter into a civil law contract.”
— Hafize Stöhr, energy law expert, PHH
Source: Kurier, October 1, 2026