Austria Launches Second Round of Solar Energy Storage Tax Rebate Scheme

Austrian authorities have allocated 40 million euros (about 42.8 million U.S. dollars) in the next round of the national solar+storage tax rebate program, involving 11,000 projects. The rebate funds will be used to install up to 10kW of PV capacity.

Austrian Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler has announced that Austria will increase the budget for the second round of the national solar + storage tax rebate scheme, which will be launched on June 21.

The government has added an additional 40 million euros (about 42.5 million U.S. dollars) on top of the 20 million euros already allocated for this round of plans.

“Official documentation of the adjustment has not been published, but the new regulations are expected to be published in the near future,” a spokesman for the national solar association Bundesverband Photovoltaic Austria told.

However, it is unclear whether additional funding for the second round of programs will be deducted from the budgets of the third and fourth rounds of programs. In the first round of planning, a total of 40 million euros were allocated to 11,000 projects.

The tax rebate funds will be used to install up to 10kW of PV capacity, with a tax rebate of up to €285/kW for installed capacity. Overall, the Austrian government hopes to provide at least 285 million euros for more solar projects in 2022.

“We consider this rapid response to high demand to be very positive, but we have pointed out that the responsible sector must maintain continuity,” said Vera Immitzer, executive director of Bundesverband Photovoltaic Austria. “We will be closely watching the third round in 2022. And the fourth round of funding needs, if necessary, will explicitly ask for the missing budget. In the current market upswing, continuity is a priority for both the population and business.”

The group said the successful expansion of photovoltaics will depend largely on the expansion of grid infrastructure, which should be designed for decentralized producers.

“Austria has completely missed the opportunity for massive grid expansion – that is, in recent years we have all needed a 100% renewable energy supply,” complains Herbert Paierl, CEO of Bundesverband Photovoltaic Austria. “The grid is becoming a bottleneck in the energy transition. And it seems to be basically fully utilized. We can’t lose the momentum we just gained just because the infrastructure isn’t expanding at the same rate.”