Switzerland approves solar obligation for new structures

• Switzerland has actually introduced a plan of measures that make the installation of photovoltaic panels on some new buildings mandatory and relieve the building and construction of large-scale photovoltaic (PV) plants in the Alps.

The measures were accepted by the Council of States, the upper house of the Swiss parliament, on Friday.

Under the new legislation, new buildings with an area of over 300 sq m should be furnished either with a PV system on their roofings or facades or with a solar thermal setup. The separate cantons are qualified to present the solar obligation likewise for structures with an area of less than 300 sq m and to authorize exceptions from the obligation.

In addition, solar installations have to be set up in all appropriate areas on government public structures by 2030.

The new laws give also for the accelerated realisation of solar projects, particularly in the towering region. These relate to PV systems with an annual production of at the very least 10 GWh as well as an outcome in the winter of a minimum of 500 kWh per 1 kW of set up capacity. Such projects will certainly be thought about site-specific outside the construction zone.

Projects in this category, which start feeding at least part of their electrical power into the power grid by the end of 2025, will likewise obtain a financial investment aid from the state, concealing to 60% of the financial investment expense.

These regulations will certainly be valid up until power generation from solar power throughout Switzerland reaches 2 TWh each year.

The modifications were resolved by the Energy Commission of the Federal Council of States in the summer.

Regional renewables company and energy trader Axpo Holding AG welcomed the Swiss parliament's commitment to quicken the growth of renewable resource and also padding potential liquidity bottlenecks in the short-term, noting that this creates better lawful assurance.

A lot more especially, the business values the designation of huge, ground-mounted solar farms with a significant payment to winter supply as site-specific and of essentially overriding national interest. Nevertheless, Axpo is calling for improving the capacity to certify renewable installments in the medium and long term as these regulations are restricted in time.