Solar energy should be rewarded at least at this rate

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Expanding solar power generation is an important pillar of the federal government’s energy strategy. But it’s also a much-debated one. Especially for individuals who already generate electricity on the roof of their house or plan to generate it in the near future. Because if rooftop photovoltaics (PV) are not profitable, homeowners will have no motivation to support the green transition.

The decisive factor here is the payment that private PV producers receive from energy suppliers for the solar energy they feed into the grid. “Especially for detached homeowners, building a PV system is currently risky economically because energy supply companies are constantly changing their tariffs,” says Tobias Schmidt, co-author of the study and Professor of Energy and Technology Policy at ETH. According to the news of Zurich, Tamedya newspapers.

In fact: nearly every one of the approximately 630 energy suppliers in Switzerland pays different tariffs. “There is no investment security for private PV manufacturers unless there is a guaranteed minimum tariff valid for 15 to 20 years,” Schmidt continues.

Planning security required

According to Schmidt’s calculations, the minimum wage that private individuals will receive for the solar energy they feed into the grid should be between 10 and 13 centimeters per kilowatt hour. Otherwise, it’s not worth installing a PV system in most communities. Schmidt’s team analyzed and processed data from 2077 communities. It was about PV systems with a maximum output of 12 kilowatts on the roofs of detached houses heated without a heat pump.

However, the parliamentary proposal currently under discussion corresponds to the approach that the minimum wage should be only around 6 centimetres. Whether this is sufficient is debatable. Also, there are problems with the definition. “It’s extremely difficult to set a sensible, uniform minimum tariff because we have a huge patchwork of quilts in subsidies and tax rules between cantons and municipalities,” ETH expert Schmidt tells Tamedia newspapers.

The coming week will show how popular the minimum tariff guarantee is in the National Council. According to Schmidt, the minimum wage is an “important first step” to better exploit solar performance. (euro)

Source : Blick