New Update of the State Energy Concept of the Czech Republic in Accordance of the EU's Climate and Energy Targets

/LONDON, January 14, 2022, 10:30 GMT,  Renewable Market Watch™/

The Czech Republic is the fourth most energy-intensive country in the EU mainly due to the high intensity of its industry (such as metallurgy, steel and coal). After Germany and Poland, the Czech Republic is the third-largest coal producer in the EU.

By the end of 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will prepare an update of the State Energy Concept of the Czech Republic with regard to the EU's climate and energy goals. The government's program statement also envisages the rehabilitation of photovoltaics as an important key resource. By 2025, at least one hundred thousand solar photovoltaic roofs should be set up in the Czech Republic. The Green Savings program will also continue.

A new energy law, which will include principles and requirements for community energy, is to be completed by the end of this year. It will make it easier for owners to install equipment on their homes, and share or sell the energy generated. At the same time, the customer protection and the state tools for energy market supervision will be strengthened. Besides the development of solar energy, other tasks mentioned by the Ministry of Industry and Trade from the government's program statement are:

1) Expansion of nuclear energy, including preparing documents on additional units in Dukovany and Temelín nuclear power plants;
2) Reducing the bureaucratic burden on companies and sole traders;
3) Simplification of subsidy programs for small and medium-sized enterprises;
4) New export promotion strategy.

In the last few years, the Czech Republic has been the focus of the investors’ interest. The political stability and predictability due to the NATO membership and to the EU accession, the stable economic perspective and the growing credit rating of the country and its institutions were only some of the elements attracting the investors’ interest. External investors have been attracted by rapidly developing national industry, highly skilled workforce and significant new market. The energy sector has an important role in Czechia’s economy and security policy.

By 2007, the Czech solar photovoltaic market was undeveloped with only 4 MW of cumulative installed capacity. The favourable renewable energy law with a very attractive feed-in tariff led to an uncontrolled boom in solar PV installations without adequate government reaction between 2009 and 2011, when almost 2 GW of capacity was installed. In early 2011, the Czech government imposed retroactive 26 % tax on the income of previously installed PV plants between 2009 and 2010, and this action brought panic and raised international scandal. A lot of concerned investors started court trials against the government. Also, the Czech Republic stopped feed-in tariff and subsidising photovoltaic installations completely from 1 January 2014 regardless of the size of the photovoltaic power plant.

Investments in new renewable energy generation capacity in the Czech Republic are moderate in the past five years. Coal remains the primary energy source for electricity production, followed by nuclear power and hydropower. However, activity on the solar photovoltaic (PV) power market in the Czech Republic is increasing since 2018, according to the study Czech Republic Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Market Outlook 2021 ÷ 2030.

The Czech Ministry of Environment has announced at the beginning of June 2021 the start of the RES+ program with an initial budget of CZK4.5 billion (€182 million, $216 million). This is a rebate scheme for the support of solar photovoltaic projects supported by the EU’s Modernisation Fund. The projects with a capacity below 1 MW and above 1 MW will be available to apply for funding through the competitive procedure.

The Czech solar energy market is expected to be heading toward an expansion phase by 2030. Factors propelling the market growth include concerns regarding negative environmental impacts of fossil fuels, a decrease of coal power generation capacity, replacement of aged power generation units based on fossil fuels, compliance with the European Green Deal, and others. Also, serious growth in the residential and commercial building stock and economic growth in the largest Czech cities are significant factors driving the solar energy market.

The full contact details of solar project owners and developers and relevant information about the Czech solar PV market, you may receive with a 1-year subscription for Czech Republic Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Market Outlook 2021÷2030. Furthermore, you will receive up to 4 quarterly updates within the subscription period depending on your license plan.

Тo download the executive summary brochure with sample pages, please access from here: Czech Republic Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Market Outlook - Sample

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