BRATISLAVA, January 24, (WEBNOVINY) — After the Cabinet discussed the new proposal for support of solar panels and the issue was consulted with experts, the Ministry of Economy decided not to change the subsidies for solar panels for family and apartment houses.
The ministry will not reduce the subsidies for purchasing solar panels for households. As the updated version of the draft bill on subsidies suggests, the state will continue in providing subsidies of 200 euro per square meter for family houses with installed area of panel surface up to eight square meters. More than a week ago, the Economy Ministry submitted a proposal reducing the subsidy to 100 euro per square meter of surface area of up to six square feet to the Cabinet.
The ministry plans to continue providing subsidies also for purchasing solar panels for apartment houses. They can receive subsidies of up to 100 euro per square meter of installed surface, but the maximum subsidy will be limited to three square meters per apartment. The ministry also plans to continue providing financial support for the purchase of biomass boilers. Applicants will be able to get a subsidy of up to 30 percent of the boiler price; the cap will be 1,000 euro. Every year until 2013 the Ministry of Economy plans to subsidize the purchase of solar panels and biomass boilers with the sum of 1.5 million euro annually, together offering more than 4.5 million euro.
The largest Slovak producer of solar panels, Thermo/Solar, welcomes the ministry’s proposal. According to its director Milan Novak, the Cabinet should start considering a systemic change of transition from subsidies to an obligation for a certain share of heat consumption to come from renewable resources.
The draft also deals with providing subsidies for local mining industry, development of small and medium enterprises, consumer protection and the development the industrial production and services. The Economy Ministry plans to provide almost 18 million euro in subsidies until the end of 2013.
The approval of subsidies had to be temporarily suspended as of the beginning of this year. Pursuant to the law on budgetary rules for the public administration, subsidies from state coffers can be provided exclusively on the basis of a separate law as of January 1, 2011 but the norm has not yet received the go-ahead. After the Cabinet’s approval the ministry will send the draft to Parliament. The law should take effect as of May 1, 2011 at the earliest.
SITA