Austria quadruples subsidy budget, approves 9,000-plus applications for solar, storage systems

A second call for subsidy applications for solar and storage in Austria – held from June 23 and July 7 and with a budget of €12 million – attracted so many responses the funding pot has risen to €48.8 million, the Austrian Ministry of Economic Affairs announced at the weekend. That is more than the €40 million budgeted for the first round of the year.

Funding agency OeMAG received 9,327 applications for investment grants for new photovoltaic systems for the second funding round, according to the ministry’s initial analysis. Of those, 7,708 applications included a battery storage system. The output associated with the photovoltaic systems is estimated at 218.2 MW, and the capacity of the storage systems at just over 200 MWh. The ministry stressed those figures were estimates as not all applications have been finally reviewed and the systems have not been installed.

Lower and Upper Austria provided the most applications with Styria also producing a four-figure number. Vienna provided the lowest number, with 293 solar applications, of which 194 included batteries.

“The high demand for photovoltaic systems and storage is a strong signal for the energy transition,” said Energy Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer and State Secretary for Energy Elisabeth Zehetner, in a joint statement. “It shows that the willingness to invest in PV systems remains high. With targeted subsidies for renewable electricity and storage technologies, we are providing impetus that will advance both the economy and the energy transition. Every newly installed PV system and every additional storage system means greater security of supply, greater independence, and more clean energy for Austria.”

A government decision to bring forward the end of a VAT exemption for solar arrays – with or without storage – may explain why demand leapt between the two subsidy application calls. The initial round attracted applications for around 5,200 arrays with a combined capacity of just under 192 MW and associated storage capacity of around 120 MWh. That was enough to consume almost all of the €40 million budget.

A third, €8 million subsidy application call will take place from Oct. 8 to Oct. 22. That round will offer an additional 10% “made in Europe” subsidy for applicants using equipment approved by the EAG settlement agency.

From pv magazine Deutschland.