The “lottery” in financial support for photovoltaics continues to cast a shadow over Austria’s solar energy offensive. Because in the chaos, only the fastest get the chance to call.
Shortly after the draw was over (a condition for taking advantage of the subsidy for a photovoltaic system), those in charge of the state processing agency OeMAG erupted in cheers. Within an hour, 100,000 tickets were drawn in the first round of this year on Thursday. And within the first five minutes, 58,184 requests came in.
But these figures cannot disguise the fact that the distribution system is anything but efficient. Because according to critics such as the Lower Austrian energy provincial councilor Pernkopf, who was the first to point out the misery in the “Krone”, this does not mean that everyone who wants to use solar energy has a chance: “The first come – first served principle is applies. Only those who submit the application for PV financing online within minutes and press the button immediately have a chance to receive financing. If you fail to do so in the tight time frame, you will receive nothing.”
Planning certainty required
As reported, 100,000 Austrians have not had a chance recently, while they actually want to do something to protect the climate. Energy Globe inventor Wolfgang Neumann is therefore calling for an end to this “lottery system”: “All applications must be submitted and executed immediately. People must not be reduced to supplicants. Anyone switching to renewable energy needs planning certainty. ”
Greenpeace boss Alex Egit appeals directly to Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens): The respective requests must be unbureaucratic and direct.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
