Number of solar power installations in Ukraine doubles in 2017

The number of new solar power installations recorded across Ukraine has doubled over 2017.

About 2,000 households in Ukrainian installed solar panel systems in 2017, which is twice as many as in 2016, according to the press service of the State Agency for Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine

Over the past three years, 3,010 households in Ukraine have set up solar panels with a total capacity of 51 MW, investing nearly EUR 35 million in their installation, according to the report.

"In particular, despite the winter period, 687 households preferred 'clean' electricity in the fourth quarter of 2017, which was 30% up from the third quarter of 2017," it said.

In addition, households that installed solar panels up to 30 kW in 2017 can sell electricity to the power grid at a price of 18.09 euro cents per 1 kWh until 2030.

Read alsoUkrainian energy industry: thorny road of reformLocal authorities also assist citizens in transition to solar power. In particular, households in Lviv region receive 10% per annum of the credit on solar panels from the regional budget, while 20% of the loan amount is returned to those in Zhytomyr region. Some 10% of solar panels installation cost is compensated from the city budgets in Khmelnitsky and Brody (Lviv region).

As UNIAN reported earlier, Law № 514-VIII in 2015 set a profitable 'green' euro-pegged tariff for the purchase of electricity produced by households' solar panel systems with a capacity of up to 30 kW.

More than 1,200 households in Ukrainian installed solar panel systems in January-September 2017, which was 1.5 times up against 2016.