Tariffs fall sharply

Photovoltaic boom in Styria ebbs away

The demand for photovoltaics in Styrian private households has declined this year.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

After record years, the great photovoltaic boom in Styria has now passed its peak, especially for private households. This is also due to the fact that feed-in tariffs have fallen sharply. Why a solar power plant on the roof is still worthwhile.

During coronavirus and especially in the wake of the energy crisis, many Styrian households opted for a photovoltaic system, demand went through the roof and often could no longer be met by companies. According to Energie Steiermark, 2023 was still a record year ("doubling compared to 2022"), but demand is now ebbing significantly.

Feed-in tariffs have fallen sharply again
This is partly due to natural market saturation, but many Styrians are now also hesitant because they receive much less money for the surplus electricity they feed into the public grid. At the height of the energy crisis, feed-in tariffs at Energie Steiermark, for example, were over 30 cents per kilowatt hour.

Facts

• Around 45,000 photovoltaic systems with an output of over 750 megawatts currently generate solar power in the Energie Steiermark grid. Private households account for around half of this.
• Since this year, VAT has been reduced for smaller, private PV systems instead of the federal subsidy. The Province of Styria is also providing money as part of the subsidy for the renovation of residential buildings.
• What about large-scale systems? One year after the priority areas for large systems were issued, the industry association PV Austria criticizes the fact that nothing has happened on the majority of these areas. The state counters: projects are indeed being planned. However, high interest rates and low electricity prices are slowing things down.

But the gold-rush mood is over again. Anyone who signed a contract before the first of November 2023 currently receives 11.79 cents/kWh. For new private electricity suppliers, the current feed-in tariff is 6.21 cents/kWh. "However, investing in solar power always makes sense for private households for reasons of sustainability, as self-sufficiency in electricity should be a priority," says Energie Steiermark spokesperson Urs Harnik.

Slump also noticeable for companies
The fact that private households are hesitant about solar power is also noticeable in companies' order books: "Business has already slumped significantly, especially for smaller, specialized companies," says Christian Gaich, guild master of the electrical engineering division. But: "The industry has a future. If only because the construction industry picks up again."