Photovoltaic energy in
Malta
General
Malta
has no indigenous resource of fossil fuels and no gas distribution
network. Two electricity plants totalling 571 MW are in operation. In
August 2006 a Draft Renewable Energy Policy has been published. No specific policy for the uptake of renewables has been
developed recently.
According
to the Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources
the target for the share of energy from renewable sources in gross
final consumption of energy in the year 2020 for Malta is 10% (in the
year 2005 the share was 0.0%). The Directive has a mandatory 10 %
target for transport to be achieved by all Member States, which refers
to renewable sources as a whole, not biofuels alone.
Renewable energy projections according to the National Renewable Energy Action Plan for Malta
The
National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) for Malta was submitted
in July 2010. The target according to Annex I of Directive 2009/28/EC
is 10% for the year 2020 and the projected NREAP share in that year is
10.2%. According to the projection, the most important contribution in
the year 2020 is expected from renewable electricity (renewable
transport) (37 ktoe, 68% of all renewable energy). Second important
contribution is expected from wind power (0.3 TWh or 22 ktoe, 40% of
all renewable energy). The third largest contribution is from biomass
(renewable electricity) (0.1 TWh or 12 ktoe, 21% of all renewable
energy). Wind power contribution is expected in the year 2020 from
onshore wind (15 MW and 38 GWh) and offshore wind (95 MW and 216 GWh).
For solar photovoltaic the 2020 contribution is projected to be 28 MW
(43 GWh). For solar thermal the 2020 contribution is projected to be 3
ktoe. The renewable electricity production from solid biomass amounts
to 86 GWh (7 ktoe) and for biogas it is expected to be 50 GWh (4 ktoe).
The consumption of renewable heat is expected to amount to zero ktoe
for solid biomass and 2 ktoe for biogas.
Renewable Electricity:
photovoltaic energy (PV)
For
solar PV at capacity ranges from 1 kW to 3.7 kW an investment subsidy
of 20% is available for private consumers. The maximum subsidy
level is €1166 for the first kW, then with an additional €582
for every additional kW. The installation costs for the metering
device do not need to be paid. Excess Electricity fed into the grid
will be purchased at €0.07 per kWh. This scheme has ran from 2006 until
2009, and has been terminated with effect from 15 February 2009, in
accordance with Government Notice 81 of 2009. From 16 February until 28
February 2009, new applications for PV systems with an installed
capacity of more than 0.5 kW were received.
A
scheme on photovoltaic systems (G.N. 162/2010) was launched where a
grant of 50% up to a maximum of € 3,000 was given on approved systems
and installations. Both schemes were launched on 16 February 2010 and
form part of a 3-year budget allocation plan partly funded by de
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). These schemes remain open
for a year or until the allocated quantities have been exhausted if the
year has not elapsed, as was the case of the photovoltaic scheme which
was oversubscribed on the first day. Applicants will only receive a
grant if they choose equipment from the list of registered products on
the Authority’s website. The terms for registration to be included in
the product list eligible for the grant scheme are defined in G.N.
52/2010.
One
of the local banks offers a beneficial loan for residential
installations paid over a 10 year period, at discount rate of 2.5%.
This loan ranges between €500 and €60,000. Loans for non-residential
systems amount to between €25,000 and €200,000. For industry, the
Maltese government also offers a tax credit on the investment.
In
order to to ensure visual attractiveness and suitable integration in
the surroundings, a Development Policy and Design Guidance has been
published in 2007.
Future programme changes
expected
No
specific information on future policy is available.
Sources
Renewable energies fact sheet for Malta,
http://ec.europa.eu/energy/energy_policy/facts_en.htm (sourced August
2008)
Times of Malta, http://www.timesofmalta.com (sourced August 2008)
The
implementation of Directive 2001/77/EC on the promotion of electricity
from renewable energy sources in the internal electricity market,
Ministry of resources and rural affairs, May 2008
Ministry of resources and rural affairs, http://www.mra.org.mt (sourced
August 2008)
PV-NMS-NET
(2011): Status of photovoltaics in the European Union - New member
states 2010. PV-NMS-NET (Intelligent Energy Europe framework project),
Warsaw, Poland, 2011.
Interactive EurObserv’ER Database, http://www.eurobserv-er.org (status
2007)
Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of
23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable
sources and amending and subsequently repealing Directives 2001/77/EC
and 2003/30/EC (Entry into force on June 25th, 2009), download from http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32009L0028:EN:NOT
http://www.mra.org.mt/Downloads/Grants/2009%20Schemes/GN_81-2009.pdf
Renewable energy policy; country profiles (Re-Shaping). Based on information available in October 2009, http://www.reshaping-res-policy.eu, 2009
The National Renewable Energy Action
Plans (NREAPs) are all published on the Transparency Platform on
Renewable Energy: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/renewables/transparency_platform/action_plan_en.htm
(sourced July - December 2010)
Renewable Energy Projections as Published in the National Renewable
Energy Action Plans of the European Member States, http://www.ecn.nl/nreap
(sourced December 2010)
Interactive EurObserv’ER Database
http://www.eurobserv-er.org
Last update: March 2011
This information canbe referenced without permission provided that the
source is mentioned completely and correctly: 'Interactive EurObserv'ER
Database, http://www.eurobserv-er.org (date of last update)'
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