Bulgaria launches EUR 123 million subsidy scheme for household solar installations

Bulgarian households can apply for grants for photovoltaic systems and solar collectors for own consumption until November 10. The government’s program is worth EUR 123 million, of which EUR 40.8 million is for the first round.

As part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and decarbonization efforts, the Ministry of Energy of Bulgaria is receiving applications from households for grants of 100% for solar thermal collectors and up to 70% for photovoltaic installations with or without battery storage.

The beneficiaries will only be able to use the produced energy themselves. It is different than for prosumers in the neighboring countries, where they sell their excess electricity to the supplier or can at least deliver it to the grid with the right to use the same amount of power at times when they produce less than they consume.

The entire scheme, called Support for Renewable Energy for Households, is worth EUR 123 million. EUR 71.5 million is from the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility and the remaining EUR 51.1 million is to be covered by the budget and by households themselves.

Beneficiaries to receive up to EUR 1,001 each for solar collectors

For the current round, with the deadline on November 10, the government earmarked EUR 40.8 million. There is EUR 6.5 million for the solar collector segment, where the selected households can receive up to EUR 1,001 each.

The maximum grant for photovoltaic systems is EUR 7,660 per household

Beneficiaries can install solar power panels with a maximum of 10 kW in peak capacity, according to the rules. It is the most that the system can produce in direct current or DC. Of note, the level after conversion into alternating current (AC) is usually 10% to 20% lower.

The budget for the PV segment is EUR 34.3 million: EUR 20 million from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, EUR 4 million from the government and EUR 10.3 million that the selected households will need to provide. The maximum grant per household is EUR 7,660.

Program is only for households that currently use inefficient heating devices on solid fuels

If the applicant owns less than 51% of the property, written consent from the co-owners must be submitted. The program is for Bulgarian residents that live in the building where they install the collectors or photovoltaic systems. They also have to prove that they are currently using inefficient heating devices on solid fuels such as wood and coal.

The applicants can only hire qualified installers from the official list. They can submit the request only online. The beneficiaries will be reimbursed for costs that incurred after June 7 of last year.