Estonia relaxes conditions for solar panel installation support for apartment buildings

TALLINN - The Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications has relaxed the conditions for apartment associations for applying for support to install solar panels on their building, the change enables apartment associations whose building has been put to use after 2000 to also apply for support from the Kredex foundation.

"Changes to the regulation were based on demand for support and the strategic directions of the state, according to which state support must reach as many people as possible, thus, the time limit regarding when the building was put to use has been eliminated," Triin Reinsalu, head of the department for dwellings and energy efficiency at Kredex, said in a press release.

In order for an applicant to be eligible for the support, their apartment building has to have been built on a legal basis and needs to have been entered into the construction register. The capacity of solar panels to be installed on the building cannot exceed 200 kilowatts. It is not permitted to start any activities before the application is submitted, nor can any advance payments be made.

The rate of compensation is 30 percent if the solar panels fully or partially cover the shared electricity used in the building and 40 percent if they also cover power consumption in apartments. The higher compensation rate also applies if the solar panels are integrated with the cover materials of the roof or facade or if an energy storage device is also installed.

The maximum amount of support per applicant is 150,000 euros.