Ljubljana, 11 April (STA) - New rules on solar panels that envisage obligatory installation of panels in certain cases will enter into force on Saturday. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) warns that many questions remain open, including regarding the pressure on the distribution network and exceptions to the new rules.
The new rules are being introduced with a government decree endorsed on 28 March which makes solar power plants compulsory for all new buildings with roof area of more than 1,000 square metres. These are mainly commercial buildings and public infrastructure, not residential buildings, Minister of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning Jože Novak told the press on Wednesday.
The same rule applies for new car parks with a surface area of more than 1,000 square metres.
However, exempt from this rule will be facilities where connection to the electricity grid is not possible, the location or exposure to the sun are inappropriate or the purpose or type of the facility is not appropriate.
Solar panels will also not be obligatory for buildings that cannot carry the weight of a photovoltaic installation or for projects where the solar panels would significantly raise the costs.
The decree also lays out the rules where setting up solar panels is allowed. Solar power plants will be allowed on existing buildings, facades, balconies and car parks regardless of their size as well as in the wide areas of roads, railways, electricity production facilities and landfills.
Solar panels will also be allowed in areas of future industrial zones.
Novak expressed hope that the various incentives offered by the state would be enough for investors to set up solar panels voluntarily.
No fines are envisaged, but the investors obligated to set up solar panels who will not obey the new rules will not get a construction permit.
The decree is based on a law designed to expedite the deployment of renewable electricity generation facilities, which was passed in July 2023. The decree will be superior to municipal spatial plans and will directly apply all over the country, which is is to speed up and simplify procedures, Novak said.
For any bigger solar power plants outside building land, spatial plans will still have to be changed, the minister warned, noting that the public needs to be included in such procedures. He also announced further legislative changes to eradicate all bad practices.
The law and decree were needed to enable Slovenia to draw funds from the EU mechanism for post-epidemic recovery.
The GZS welcomed the decree on Thursday but warned that its provisions on demands for existing facilities on what is classified as priority areas are vague. "We fear that there could be problems in preparing and assessing exemptions with a feasibility study," said Antonija Božič Cerar from the GZS's department for environment, climate and energy.
Another problem is the distribution network, which does not allow for new photovoltaic plants in some locations, the GZS said, although the decree list such areas as an exception.
In 2022, 12,698 solar power plants with a total capacity of 227.6 megawatts (MW) were connected to the grid in Slovenia and 18,034 solar power plants with a total capacity of 411.8 MW in 2023.
In total, 49,092 solar power plants with a total capacity of 1,104.5 MW were in the system on 31 December 2023. In the last two years, two-thirds of the country's solar power generation installations have been connected to the grid.
The national programme for the use of EU cohesion funds for the period 2021-2027 sets aside EUR 60 million for solar electricity generation.
The state-owned electricity market operator Borzen offers EUR 105 million in incentives for renewable energy sources and another EUR 45 million will be available when the new energy law is passed and in the future another EUR 75 million.
Environment, Climate and Energy Minister Bojan Kumer said yesterday that his ministry has set aside EUR 20 million for equipping municipal buildings with solar panels and that more funds would be allocated for the purpose if necessary.
He hopes this will be enough for Slovenia to reach the EU goals on renewable energy use at least until the end of this government term so it will no longer have to pay for statistic transfers to other EU member states.
