Subsidy deadlines as a brake on PV expansion
In Austria, 55,000 photovoltaic systems (PV systems) have already been approved. These have an output of 860 megawatts (MW), according to the Ministry of Climate Protection, it should be 1,600 MW for the year as a whole. That is more than twice as much as in the previous year.
The PV systems pay for themselves in a few years, not least thanks to federal funding under the Renewable Energy Sources Expansion Act (EAG). They are then funded with up to 285 euros/kilowatt peak (kWp). There may be a surcharge of 30 percent for innovative systems such as those that are floating or integrated into the building.
Delay due to delivery problems and lack of skilled workers
However, in order to receive the subsidy, systems with an output of up to 100 kWp must be installed within six months and systems above this within twelve months after the subsidy approval. A grace period of three months can be requested. Construction must not begin before funding has been approved.
But the suppliers have enormous problems to set up the systems within the specified times. An essential component such as solar panels and inverters is missing. In some cases, there are not enough qualified personnel to install the systems.
Order stop for private customers
This is why suppliers such as Verbund, Energie Oberösterreich and EVN are currently reluctant to accept new applications. At Wien Energie and EVN, orders from private customers are currently being written off. This would usually include storage and a mains circuit breaker, so that the PV system automatically takes over the power supply in the event of a power failure. Since the storage and individual components are currently difficult to obtain, the systems cannot be built on time.
The association points out on its homepage that delivery times of 6 months or more are to be expected. At Energie AG, a waiting period of up to 8 months can be expected. This makes it difficult to get federal funding. The suppliers are therefore unanimous in their desire for a longer period of time to be able to accept the applications again.
Ministry: If in doubt, withdraw the application
The ministry counters that they have already given in: “Due to the high demand and the difficult delivery situation in some cases, we have already allowed a general extension of the deadline from six to nine months. The industry was also comprehensively informed about this. If, in individual cases, it is not possible to set it up within the deadline, it is advisable to withdraw the application beforehand. This has no effect on eligibility, you don’t lose the funding and you can submit an application without any problems.”