Photovoltaic systems with a capacity of up to 999 kilowatts, as well as heat pumps, can now be installed in Montenegro without a construction permit. The simplified procedures for renewable energy projects were introduced through legislative amendments that entered into force on August 3.
Following the entry into force of the amendments to the construction law, photovoltaic systems with a capacity of up to 999 kW can be installed without a construction permit, but they still require an application and technical documentation.
Also, local authorities are to define more detailed rules governing the installation, construction, and removal of these facilities within 60 days of the amendments entering into force.
The amended law specifies that a construction permit is not required for photovoltaic systems, heat pumps, and geothermal heat pumps with a capacity of up to 999 kW, as well as for heat pumps and geothermal heat pumps with a capacity ranging from 1 MW to 50 MW.
Construction permits are also not required for heat pumps of up to 50 MW
However, this does not mean that solar power plants can be installed without supporting documentation. Photovoltaic systems with a capacity of up to 999 kW still require an application, a structural stability analysis of the building, and proof from the relevant authority that the grid connection requirements have been met.
The law also shortens the administrative part of the procedure to 30 days, though the actual speed of project implementation will depend on obtaining the required documentation and the conditions for grid connection.
The requirement to plan for renewable energy systems in building construction and renovation has been postponed until Montenegro’s EU accession
However, one of the announced changes has been postponed until Montenegro joins the European Union. This concerns the requirement for designs for the construction or renovation of buildings to include a plan for renewable energy systems, such as solar panels, Bankar reports.
