The public call for subsidizing the installation of solar panels, which was announced by the Minister of Mining and Energy Zorana Mihajlovic for the end of August or the beginning of September, will be interesting for citizens who consume a lot of electricity.
The Ministry of Mining and Energy points out that the installation of solar panels is primarily aimed at encouraging citizens to become customers – producers of electricity. By producing electricity from solar panels, consumers would use those stocks instead of drawing electricity from the system of the Electric Power Industry of Serbia.
– This right will primarily be exercised by citizens who plan to install solar panels on their family houses. The second category that will be entitled to subsidies are family houses – cottages that are not connected to the electricity system. The Ministry of Mining and Energy and local self-government will provide 25 percent of incentives for that investment, while the citizens will participate in the project with 50 percent of their funds – the Ministry of Mining and Energy told Danas.
The authorities in that ministry point out that the state plans to install solar panels on public buildings owned by it, as well as that it is ready to consider proposals for various forms of cooperation regarding investing in the construction of new capacities that use renewable energy sources.
On the other hand, the expert public says that solar panels will be most profitable for those citizens who consume a lot of electricity, ie often enter the so-called “red zone”.
– Those consumers who draw larger amounts of electricity, which is reflected in the price they pay, will find a reason to install solar panels. Considering that these consumers pay the Electric Power Industry of Serbia not only the price of electricity they consume, but also the duties imposed by the state, the price of electricity from solar panels, that is, from their own production, would certainly be lower. If such a household can repay the investment in five to eight years, and knowing that the state participates in its financing in a certain percentage, it is certainly profitable, ie it will lead to savings – Velimir Gavrilovic, General Manager of Energia, Gas and Power, told Danas.
Households that do not spend much, do not pay high electricity bills and do not belong to the category of consumers who would benefit from the installation of solar panels.
– Simply, their consumption is small, so, given the amount of investment in solar panels, it does not pay off to install them. Namely, the average investment in the installation of solar panels costs a little less than 10,000 euros, which means that half of the amount for the works should be provided by the household. For that, it is necessary to borrow from the bank, which at the same time means paying the participation in that arrangement – states Gavrilovic.
Energy expert Vojislav Vuletic says for Danas that it is good that the state subsidizes projects such as installing solar panels and replacing carpentry.
– It is always good when the state helps citizens for the sake of energy savings and efficiency. Such is the case with subsidies for the installation of solar panels. Unfortunately, consumers who live in apartments cannot install panels due to the large area they occupy on the roof. On the other hand, consumers who live in the countryside or have houses in the city can use that opportunity and save on their bills – Vuletic explains.
Only 0.56 percent of electricity was produced from biomass
Last year, 0.56 percent of electricity from biomass was produced in Serbia, the Ministry of Mining and Energy said. So far, 33.4 megawatts of biomass capacity have been built, of which 2.38 uses wood biomass, and the rest is obtained from biogas. Biomass is mostly used in households for cooking and heating. The Ministry of Mining and Energy points out that a research on biomass consumption is underway, based on when it will be seen what the potential of biomass that is not used is available for use for energy purposes, Danas reports.
