“Unfortunately, the federal states are the brakes on the energy transition,” complains Vera Immitzer, director of Photovoltaik Austria. Slow network expansion, ‘dusty’ state laws and a lack of overview of feed-in capacity make solar energy expansion more difficult.
In 2023, between 2.7 and 3 gigawatts will be added. The exact added power cannot yet be precisely determined. But here the first problem becomes clear: there is no overview, neither of the quantities imported nor of the possible capacities. The Electricity Sector Act is, among other things, intended to create this overview. The industry is still calling for rapid implementation, as is the case with the Renewable Energy Acceleration Act. “This must not fail because of the domestic political election campaign,” Immitzer emphasizes.
In general, the sector representative is not particularly optimistic that there will be as much production this year as in 2023. A lot is still being processed, but fewer new orders are being added. A PV installation currently costs 1,200 to 1,300 euros per kilowatt peak. A typical system with 8 kWp therefore costs approximately 10,000 euros.
According to industry representatives, 2023 was an exceptional year. On the one hand, the energy crisis has accelerated many people’s desire for a cheap energy supply. However, making excuses based on external factors is not enough. The biggest problem area is the networks. Expansion here has not made sufficient progress, as projects in recent years have hardly focused on future needs, but rather on current needs.
Networks and storage are not yet prepared for expansion
As a result, the expansion and creation of new feed-in capacity is being slowed in many places. This means that owners of photovoltaic solar panels cannot ‘connect’ their electricity to the electricity grid; they are not given access, which is also associated with connection costs. The situation obviously slows down the will to invest. Moreover – as the ‘Krone’ reported – many have charged higher feed-in rates and are now disappointed.
Herbert Paierl, the chairman of PV Austria, argues: “We need networks, networks, networks. To achieve the goal we need to add two gigawatts per year, which is not sustainable without a major network expansion.”
“Federalist patchwork of laws”
What is added is a ‘patchwork of the federal states’, which sometimes seems bizarre: while a PV installation in Lower Austria does not require a permit according to the building regulations, a permit must be applied for for an installation 100 meters away. , in Burgenland, from just 20 kW. Regulations also vary between the neighboring states of Tyrol and Salzburg. In Salzburg, installations always require approval, in Tyrol a notification is required from 50 kW and approval from 250 kW. “We are dealing with 27 different legal matters,” Immitzer emphasizes. Because construction law, natural law and electricity law differ per region. “Federalism defeats reason here,” says Paierl, himself a former state politician. He advocates harmonization of the legal situation.
Too few areas
The next stumbling block is the lack of space. According to Immitzer, the ambitious photovoltaic goals can hardly be achieved on roofs alone. Only four states (Styria, Lower Austria, Burgenland, Salzburg) want to actively designate more areas of meadows, etc., for photovoltaic energy. A lot is currently happening with private households, but to achieve the goals, 40 percent of additional production would have to be added to open spaces in the future. Commercial and industrial companies are also expanding solar energy, and the areas will be used in many places.
There is also a lack of personnel capacity
But there is a lack of capacity not only in terms of space, but also in the governments themselves, especially in terms of personnel. Some positions are overwhelmed. While the installation of a typical system takes only three to four months, the approval and connection to the electricity grid takes a very long time
A survey of member companies also mentioned bureaucracy and networking, as well as the shortage of skilled workers. The major expansion requires numerous well-trained employees to install the photovoltaics. The fact that technically trained personnel are generally scarce is also noticeable in the PV industry. Overall, Paierl emphasizes, “The industry is ready for expansion!”
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.
