Starts on April 10

Retrofitting with PV storage will be subsidized in future

PV systems have been subsidized for some time, and retrofitting with storage systems will soon be subsidized as well.

(Bild: P. Huber)

The appearance of the Climate Minister at the Energy Saving Fair in Wels today, Friday, was eagerly awaited - especially by PV system owners who want to retrofit a storage system. And Gewessler delivered: she announced that such purchases would also be subsidized in the future.

The crowds of visitors on the first day of the trade fair in Wels, which runs until Sunday, proved that the topic of saving energy has reached the general public. In particular, the growing interest in generating one's own electricity using photovoltaics has triggered a real boom in the industry.

Demand from Upper Austria
In view of the strained grid capacities, experts have been recommending for some time now that people should no longer rely on feeding electricity into the grid, but instead store the excess electricity produced. The catch, which annoys many, is that up to now there has been no funding for retrofitted storage systems. As reported, Energy Minister Markus Achleitner (ÖVP) had demanded a commitment from Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) to introduce this subsidy in the run-up to the trade fair.

Minister announces new subsidy at Wels trade fair
And she promptly did: "This subsidy will start on April 10," the minister announced in her opening speech. Achleitner also claimed the success for himself: "This means that the Ministry of Climate Action is responding to pressure from Upper Austria and finally putting an end to its tardiness."

In addition, a regulation for the promotion of larger PV systems and for companies is said to have been sent for review.