Bulgaria's Energy Ministry said it opened an EU-backed scheme that will provide 240 million leva (122.7 million euros) to support home projects that install solar photovoltaics and energy storage.
Homeowners can apply to install solar arrays for water heating or rooftop photovoltaic systems of up to 10kWp, paired with
Battery storage systems, the Energy Ministry said in a press release on Tuesday. Applications can be submitted until November 10.
Financing for this scheme includes a grant worth 140 million leva paid under Bulgaria's recovery and rehabilitation programme, as well as 100 million leva in additional state and private sector funding. Up to 80 million BGN will be allocated in the first stage of the financing procedure.
Under the long-awaited procedure,
Solar Module projects are eligible for 100% funding of costs up to BGN 1,961. Projects for solar photovoltaic arrays and battery storage systems will receive up to 70 per cent of the individual costs, up to a maximum of 15,000 leva.
The country's Ministry of Energy states that eligible households must currently use inefficient energy sources, i.e. wood or coal, for heating and electricity. (1 euro = 1.95583 BGN)
Bulgaria's photovoltaic market is growing
According to data provided by the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute (NSI) website, Bulgaria's renewable energy generation (solar, wind and hydro) will account for 17% of the country's electricity mix in 2021.
Data for 2021 released by its state-owned electricity system operator (ESO) shows that solar PV parks and onshore wind farms account for more than 6.1% of Bulgaria's total electricity generation of 47.8 TWh, or 3.1% and 3% respectively.
Investor interest in developing new renewable energy projects in Bulgaria becomes strong in the period 2021-2022 and we expect renewable energy generation in this country to continue to increase in the coming years. As a sign of the growing attractiveness of the sector, ESO says that 2377 applications have been received for the construction of renewable energy projects in 2022, with a total capacity of 17.5GW.
Of these, solar photovoltaic power is the leading source, with the number of applications for plant construction and grid connection increasing by 60% per year. According to ESO data, while the total capacity of solar applications in Bulgaria is 6.78GW in 2021, it has risen to 11.33GW in 2022.
Bulgaria plans to use EU funding to promote the development and use of much-needed renewable energy, and by mid-2026 the country plans to add 3.5GW of new installed solar and wind capacity, with at least 1.4 GW of the new installations to be combined with energy storage and allocated to the solar+storage tender.
