Background information

In February 2023, a programme will assist households to install photovoltaic modules or solar installations for domestic hot water.

The preparation of an investment project and a building permit for installation of solar panels on the roofs of houses or other buildings for household electricity use will not be required. This eliminates the complex bureaucratic procedures for installing photovoltaics to generate electricity from the sun (up to 20 kilowatts). The change is regulated through the Spatial Planning Act by the amendments that were voted by the National Assembly. Thus, the installation of renewable energy facilities for electricity generation or water heating in urban areas with a capacity of up to 20 kilowatts passes a notification regime where the resulting energy will be used only for household's own needs. The amendments to the law were supported by all parliamentary parties.

Content of measure

The procedure consists of two components - Component 1 for the purchase of solar installations for domestic hot water supply and Component 2 for the purchase of photovoltaic systems up to 10 kWp, including electrical energy storage systems.

The maximum amount of grant funding for a project proposal under Component 1 is up to 100% of the value of the installation, but not more than BGN 1,960.83, and up to 70% of the value of the system, but not more than BGN 15,000 under Component 2.

Eligible applicants are all individuals occupying their own single-family dwelling or their own dwelling in an apartment building. The dwelling being applied for must be the applicant's primary residence and replace an inefficient source of heat (stove, boiler, fireplace, etc.) on solid fuel (wood, coal, etc.).

Applicants must have no social security or tax liabilities. Convicted persons are also not eligible to apply.

According to the measure under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, 10,000 households could benefit. The total budget set for the programme is BGN 240 million, of which BGN 140 million is grant funding from the European Union and BGN 100 million is national public and private co-financing.

Use of measure

No information available.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Does not apply to businesses	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government EU (Council, EC, EP)	European Funds National funds National Recovery and Resilience Facility

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Consulted	Consulted
Form	Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies	Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

According to media statement, the branch representatives from Solar Academia Bulgaria alarm that there is a lack of specialists who will be able to meet the increased interest of solar panel installation.

Views and reactions

According to the Bulgarian Photovoltaic Association there is already a lot of interest. There is also interest in financing solar panels for small businesses, a measure that will be driven by the Ministry of Innovation and Growth.

The trade unions insist on a maximally fair definition of the concept of "energy poverty" in our country, which will be enshrined in the legislation. The president of Confederation of Labour "Podkrepa" Dimitar Manolov commented that the energy poor is not only a person who cannot pay his electricity bill: "Energy poverty includes many more things, about which the conversation must necessarily start. For example, what awaits us - energy poor is that person who cannot buy photovoltaic panels and put them on his roof and thus help himself in paying the bills. Energy poor is someone who can't replace their appliances with energy efficient ones to use less energy and pay smaller bills. We could go on and on about this topic, but the topic is also it has to be worked on, something that doesn't happen".

Dimitar Manolov insisted that the Ministry of Energy speed up the discussion and adoption of the changes in the legislation, which would define the criteria for energy poverty, which would be the basis for supporting this category of people in the country.

Sources

• 16 November 2022: Program will help households for photovoltaic systems (bnr.bg)
• 12 January 2023: Solar installations for electricity for own needs will be built under a simplified procedure (www.infoz.bg)
• 04 February 2023: The trade unions insist on a maximally fair definition of the concept of "energy poverty" (bnr.bg)
• 17 February 2023: BULGARIAN HOUSEHOLDS WILL BE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM FINANCING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS (www.me.government.bg)