Ruling with consequences

Money back for thousands of PV owners

On average, a PV system installed in Upper Austria this year generates 14 kWp, for which a grid access fee of 168 euros was previously due. The vast majority of Austrians get their money back.

(Bild: Imre Antal)

This ruling by the Supreme Court has consequences for tens of thousands of Austrians, 75,000 Upper Austrians alone, who feed solar power into the grid: The vast majority of them will receive a refund from the grid operators for a fee that was wrongly collected. The "Krone" explains how the PV operators get their money.

Grid access fee for green electricity systems - sounds a bit unwieldy, but this fee was paid to the grid operator by everyone who feeds in solar power. And now the Supreme Court (OGH) has retroactively overturned it: money will be refunded. Around 75,000 Upper Austrians can hope - 140,000 systems went into operation nationwide last year alone. And all owners paid the fee. Most of them will get it back, but not all of them. The "Krone" asked who gets how much money and when.