The government is expanding ‘Sunlight Income Villages’ nationwide, which aim to achieve energy independence and increase residents’ income through community-led solar power generation. On the 16th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety reported the ‘Sunlight Income Village National Expansion Plan’ prepared with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Climate and Environment at the Cabinet meeting, and announced comprehensive support at the government level.
‘Sunlight Income Villages’ are a business model where communities install and operate solar power plants on unused land, farmland, and reservoirs to achieve energy independence and share the profits with residents. In Gwang-ri, Sejongdaewang-myeon, Yeoju-si, Gyeonggi-do, the ‘Sunlight Cooperative Power Generation Cooperative’ installed solar power plants on village warehouses and parking lots, using the profits to provide free lunches and operate village buses, achieving community recovery and carbon reduction.
To spread these successful cases nationwide, the government plans to address the limitations of village solar support projects previously promoted by individual ministries and establish a systematic support system at the government level. To this end, a government-wide promotion organization called the ‘Sunlight Income Village Promotion Team’ will be established under the Minister of the Interior and Safety, with participation from related ministries, local governments, and public institutions to plan, coordinate, designate, and evaluate Sunlight Income Villages.
The government will provide integrated support for key elements of the project, such as power grid connection, site acquisition, and financial support, centered on the promotion team. Additionally, related laws will be revised to allow priority grid connection for Sunlight Income Villages, and support will be provided for the installation of energy storage systems (ESS) to reduce connection waiting times. The plan is to create more than 500 Sunlight Income Villages annually by 2026 and over 2,500 by 2030.