Greece

MPs to vote on amended PV bill over the weekend as Greek solar agencies squabble over industry’s future.

Greece’s Environment Ministry is set to introduce new measures in the hopes of reaching a long-term solution, including FIT cuts and loan extensions. Consumers, however, face still more RES fee hikes.

Greece’s Environmnet Ministry will make net metering possible for households and businesses, but the local PV industry has taken issue with its controversial provisions.

Greece added 148 MW of solar photovoltaics in the second quarter but the situation for solar developers is getting tougher: new FIT cuts are on the way and consumers face 120% electricity fee hikes to back new RES projects.

Chinese solar PV manufacturers are eyeing a possible move to Greece in an effort to mitigate the impact of EU anti-dumping tariffs. Chinese operations at the Port of Piraeus in Athens could help.

The Municipality of Thessaloniki, the second biggest city in Greece, announced recently that it will install photovoltaic systems on the roofs of a total 50 municipal buildings. 48 of these are public schools.

Solar Cells Hellas Group, the biggest PV producer in Greece, connected to the grid in January three new photovoltaic parks of a 3.19 MW total installed capacity.

Notis Mitarakis, the Greek Deputy Minister of Development, Competitiveness, Infrastructure, Transport and Networks has revealed a list of five photovoltaic projects that have been granted “fast track” status by the state. Once completed, these projects will have a total capacity of 724.162 MW.

The Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Energy Producers (SPEF) has filed a formal complaint at the European Commission with regards to the special levy the Greek Government has imposed on photovoltaic parks.