On Saturday 24 August, the Cypriot Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry announced that six thousand people had applied for the first phase of the Solar for All programme.
Of the total documents received, the ministry has responded to five thousand applicants. Of these, around four thousand beneficiaries have been pre-approved. They have ten months to find the cheapest way to install the PV system. Otherwise their application will be cancelled. The Ministry also announced its intention to launch the second phase of the programme. This is expected to happen as early as September this year.
As a reminder, the aim of the Solar for All programme is to provide all household consumers in Cyprus with the opportunity to install a solar energy system.
The programme is funded by the government and is part of a larger initiative.
Thanks to the Solar for All project, Cypriot residents can significantly reduce their energy bills. According to the scheme, for every kilowatt of capacity of the photovoltaic system purchased, it is possible to receive 250 euros. The maximum amount of the subsidy is 1,000 euros. It is also possible to receive an additional subsidy of up to 4,000 euros (1,000 euros for each kilowatt), on condition that the amount received is paid out in instalments once the solar panels have been installed (150 euros every two months).
It should be noted that Cyprus lags far behind many of its European neighbours in the use of renewable energy sources. Given the island's dependence on imported oil and gas, the consequences of this lag are now being felt by all electricity consumers in the country. However, this situation is about to change radically.
