The Swedish government last week announced that it would not accept applications for its solar power rebate scheme after the beginning of July, while the deadline for completion of projects that have already applied for support will be extended.
Individuals and companies that want to benefit from the 20% subsidy offered by the government will have to file applications by July 7. The rebate system will be replaced by tax breaks proposed by the government from 2021, according to the statement.
Meanwhile, projects that have applied for support but have been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic will not be at risk of losing the subsidy. They will need to be completed by June 30, 2021 instead of the previous deadline of December 31, 2020.
According to the Swedish solar industry body Svensk Solenergi, the changes could hinder the progress in the solar power market in Sweden seen over the last years. According to the industry body, the new tax deduction will concern only individuals, not companies.
Sweden had 698 MW of operational photovoltaic (PV) capacity at the end of 2019, up from 411 MW a year earlier, figures provided by the Swedish energy agency the Energimyndigheten showed in March.
