Austria Launches Final Round Of €8 Million Solar And Energy Storage Subsidy

 

Austria Launches Final Round of €8 Million Solar and Energy Storage Subsidy, Including a 10% Made in Europe Bonus

 

The Austrian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism has launched the third and final round of its solar and energy storage subsidy program, providing €8 million in funding and a 10% Made in Europe bonus. This program targets new or expanded solar and energy storage systems, offering additional subsidies to applicants who utilize European-produced solar panels, inverters, or energy storage equipment.

 

The subsidy is divided into four tiers based on solar system capacity: systems under 10 kW receive a fixed subsidy of €160 per kW; systems between 10 and 20 kW receive €150 per kW; systems between 20 and 100 kW receive a capped subsidy of €140 per kW; and systems over 100 kW receive €130 per kW. Energy storage systems receive a standard subsidy of €150 per kilowatt-hour, and the Made in Europe bonus will be added to the base subsidy. Minister of Economic Affairs Wolfgang Hartmannsdorfer emphasized that promoting Made in Europe will strengthen industrial resilience, protect jobs, and enhance energy independence.

 

The current round stipulates that energy storage systems must be installed simultaneously with newly built or expanded, but not yet operational, photovoltaic arrays to qualify for subsidies. The application window closes on October 22nd. Austria's energy storage demand has continued to grow this year. The first round of subsidies approved 5,200 applications covering 192 MW of photovoltaics and 124 MWh of storage, while the second round received 8,800 applications covering 182 MW of photovoltaics and 175 MWh of storage. Notably, the government has prematurely canceled the VAT exemption for small photovoltaic systems, which was originally scheduled to last until 2025.