ÖVP demand to the Greens

Will subsidies soon be available for PV retrofitters?

Anyone who has a PV system and now wants to retrofit a storage system is currently still looking through their fingers. VAT will not be waived for this investment.

(Bild: Imre Antal)

Her appearance at the opening of the Energy Saving Fair in Wels today is eagerly awaited: The question is what new subsidies Climate Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) has in store. ÖVP provincial councillor Markus Achleitner (ÖVP) is also calling for a VAT bonus for PV system owners who want to install a storage system at a later date.

With a firework display of superlatives and lots of figures, State Councillor for Energy Markus Achleitner (ÖVP) wants to show how well Upper Austria has succeeded in switching to renewable energies - especially in the construction of photovoltaic systems: 25,600 new "solar power plants" were built in our state last year. The increase in PV output amounted to 480 megawatts; statistically speaking, a PV system was installed every 20 minutes above the Enns.

This is why the Ministry of Climate Action is being called upon to quickly reintroduce subsidies for electricity storage systems

Energie-Landesrat Markus Achleitner (ÖVP)

This has certainly also been accelerated by the federal government's funding stimulus package, which has made a lot of money available here. Today, Friday, Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler will open the Energy Saving Fair in Wels - and in light of the upcoming National Council elections, fresh money is also expected here.

Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler from the Green Party. She is currently on the election campaign trail, which is why new subsidies are expected.

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

Retrofitters look through their fingers
Achleitner suggests where the federal government could tighten up, for example with so-called retrofitters. Anyone who has already installed PV modules on their roof and now wants to retrofit a storage system is currently looking through their fingers when it comes to VAT refunds - the "Krone" has reported on this in detail. "We are therefore appealing to the Ministry of Climate Action to quickly reintroduce subsidies for electricity storage systems," says Achleitner. Money is currently only paid out for modules and storage systems if both are installed together or only the PV modules are installed.

Achleitner also points out the lack of a regulation that (still) denies subsidies to two groups: Those private individuals whose systems have more than 35 KW and companies in general. It will be exciting to see what Gewessler announces today in Wels.