PV LEGAL Project Kick-off: Reducing bureaucracy for PV installations

Today, connecting a solar power system in Europe can take between less than a month to over several years. Since photovoltaic (PV) is considered one of the most important energy technologies for future power generation, a European project consortium is aiming to facilitate the deployment of this technology by addressing administrative burdens. The recently kicked-off PV LEGAL project aims to overcome regulatory market barriers for PV and in the end reduce the lead-time to connect a PV system to the electricity grid. For the coming 30 months, BSW-Solar, together with 14 other EU PV industry partners, will look in depth at improving such conditions in Germany and 11 other EU Member States.

The first step for the PV LEGAL project consortium is to establish a comprehensive database to analyse the bureaucratic efforts that need to be tackled by investors in PV systems in 12 selected EU member states. The database will provide stakeholders, policymakers and grid operators with a systematic analysis of practical experiences with regulatory barriers and grid connection issues that are encompassed by investors in PV systems. The removal of such barriers is considered key by both the industry as well as the European Union, which supports the endeavour under the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme.

Once the database is established, policy makers and grid operators in the main European PV markets will be addressed by means of advisory papers as well as national forums (conferences) and ad-hoc workshops to provide and discuss recommendations for the improvement and simplification of administrative burdens.

For the first time, the PV LEGAL project will be publicly presented during the 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, taking place in Hamburg at the end of September, with a workshop organised on Tuesday 22 September from 14:45 to 18:00 at Hamburg International Fair, EPIA Industry Area: Hall B2, stand G59 and during a visual poster presentation in the conference centre.

The PV LEGAL project gathers a group of 13 national PV industry associations together with the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) and the Management Consultants eclareon:

Partners:

- BSW-Solar, German Solar Industry Association (Coordinator)
- ASIF, Spanish Photovoltaic Industry Association
- Assosolare, Italian Photovoltaic Industry Association
- ENERPLAN, French Solar professional association
- REA, UK Renewable Energy Association
- SER, French Renewable Energy Industry Association
- ZSFI, Slovenian Photovoltaic Industry Association
- EPIA, European Photovoltaic Industry Association
- eclareon Management Consultants

Collaborating organisations: Holland Solar (NL), Czech Renewable Energy Agency (CZREA), Portuguese Photovoltaic Industry Association (APESF), Bulgarian Photovoltaic Association.