The Polish government is reportedly preparing to usher in legislation which will enable people unable to install solar panels at their home or business to invest in solar projects elsewhere.
Industry body PV Poland on Friday announced the virtual solar investment rules are set to be part of an amendment to the nation’s RES [Renewable Energy Sources] Act of February 2015 that is set to be enacted this year.
The planned amendment was confirmed by Przemysław Hofman, deputy director of the low-emissions economy department at the Ministry of Development, who was speaking at the virtually-staged PVCON 2020 Photovoltaic Congress event held on June 9 and 10, according to PV Poland. The trade body said Hofman stated work on the amendment was at the preliminary stage.
PV Poland stated “the photovoltaic industry is somehow immune to the corona[virus] crisis” based on installation levels during the first four months of the year. The trade body reported 43,000 small scale PV systems with a total generation capacity of more than 312 MWp were installed in the first quarter.
Those figures, however, appear to be undermined by the fact Poland did not institute its most severe form of coronavirus lockdown until March 31-April 3. The country reportedly logged its first laboratory-confirmed case of the virus on March 4 and closed school and university classes and large gatherings on March 10. Smaller social gatherings and travel were restricted from March 25 and full, on-street social distancing was only brought in right at the end of the first quarter.
The trade body did report installer OZE Projekt Group had posted its busiest sales month on record in April and said although installation levels fell around 18% from March to April, the month of April saw 3% higher sector employment than in the first month of the year.