Solar power funding, following the model of the EU

The allegation that the Federal Council is hard. "Solar and wind power have developed in the last few years, the most cost-effective technology for the production of electricity," says energy expert Rudolf Rechsteiner. "However, Switzerland is in the proportion of Wind and Solar in electricity production 26 in Europe", far behind neighboring countries such as Germany, Italy or France, the renewable energy is pushing to expand.

The people has accepted 2017 the energy act of the Federal government. If this should have a Chance to create the Federal government immediately the necessary conditions for investors of the construction of large solar installations computing, says Rechsteiner. What is the Federal government doing instead? He let the Swiss Federal office of energy funding for the program cost-covering feed-in remuneration (KEV) stop and to leave no new projects, though the program may still promote to 2022, in advance of the smaller plants would have. "And this, before a successor could be discussed," said Rechsteiner. The funding pot of over 300 million Swiss francs in reserves was overflowing.

Since the Federal government standing in the subsidies available for some time on the brake, the renewables growth to 2018 "to its lowest level" since ten years have fallen. Even more troubling is that "there is, of all things, for large-scale plants, which could make the quantity and price difference in Switzerland is no good framework conditions", writes Rechsteiner.

cheaper abroad to the grid

In Switzerland, systems dominated by small, with 10 to 20 kilowatts of power, with the cost around 2000 francs per Kilowatt of power. In the neighbouring countries, plants were much cheaper to the grid, quite large plants with a cost of 600 Euro per Kilowatt of power. In Switzerland, only two solar plants with more than one Megawatt of power had gone into last time, notes Rechsteiner in his study, "interim balance sheet in the Expansion of renewable energies", commissioned by the Swiss energy Foundation SES.

A glance across the border to show how things could be different work. In Germany, the remuneration for solar electricity have fallen since 2013 of more than 12 to less than 6 Euro cents per kilowatt-hour.

Switzerland, Too, could get more out of it, believe Rechsteiner, if you are the "financing of new power plants, such as most EU countries are switching to competitive tender with market premium". There, the provider will receive with the "cheapest bid" the bid to provide for 15 or 20 years every year a certain amount of solar electricity. The price in the market falls under the using the auction determined price limit, will be compensated for the difference, a kind of protection against price fluctuations.

aggregate price to investors

"The financing of new capacity is reduced decisively, and the cost overall will be lower as held in Switzerland," notes the study. The price will rise over a certain value, the value is siphoned off from the state the difference. Investors price in the long term, in the cut exactly to the specified in the auction contract.

In Germany, about this Supplement prices in the latest auctions, there is only a little removed from the daily prices for solar electricity in June 2019 from nearly 5.5 Euro cents per kilowatt-hour – the equivalent of about 6 cents per kilowatt-hour. Of Switzerland, too, could benefit, if you put on large systems – and the funding is no longer officially set, but the providers leave in an auction, each other offer in order to receive the award.

But this requires that large equipment are particularly encouraged. "For large solar installations which are to be built, produce is almost always cheaper than conventional power plants or wind turbines, which are emerging in the same Region," says Nils Epprecht, Director of the energy Foundation SES. Solar electricity for 5 cents per kilowatt-hour to be in Switzerland, be realistic, noted recently in another study, Urs Muntwyler Professor for Photovoltaics at the University of applied Sciences BFH in Burgdorf,. Provided always, it is great to build systems with several Hundred kilowatts, or even several megawatts of power.

surfaces for solar projects

the Federal government wants to put on auctions, but do not go so far as the trial – winners will only receive a Once-only payment at the start of the project. The rich do not, in order to inspire investors for large-scale installations, fears Rechsteiner. There is a need for both: the competition of auctions, that ensures that the Supplement prices are falling sharply and steadily, but also the guarantee that the cheapest bidder will get the offered bid price, on the agreed duration of the project.

A rapid expansion of solar capacity requires, however, that the Private and the public sector make huge fallow land, on buildings, on roads and noise protection walls for solar projects against a "solar rental" available.

Created: 11.11.2019, 22:25 PM