More money for energy saving in Sweden

The Swedish Government is allocating SEK 500 million per year in 2007 and 2008 to energy-saving measures and conversion to renewable energy. SEK 50 million is going to support solar cell installation. To expand wind power, the Swedish Government has allocated SEK 30 million per year in 2007 and 2008. The funding for the national climate investment programme will be augmented with SEK 75 million per year. In addition, SEK 50 million in 2006 and SEK 100 million in 2007 will be dedicated to renewable fuels.

New offshore wind farms in Dutch and Danish sea

Last month the construction of an offshore wind farm off the coast of Egmond aan Zee in the Netherlands started. The wind farm, with a capacity of 108 MW, will produce power at the end of this year. The electricity supplied will be sufficient for 100,000 Dutch households. The Danish government has given permission to build an offshore wind farm with a capacity of 200MW close to Rødsand in Denmark. The park will generate power in 2010.

Greece to simplify rules for installation of PV systems

The Greek Government wants to reduce the time for the grant of planning permission of PV systems from three years to less than one year. Furthermore the new law proposal includes removal of administrative barriers and of the existing cap of 50 MW for all RES applications. The proposal also specifies that no specific permission is needed for production, installation or operation of installations  less than 80 KWp. The Greek Minister of Development announced earlier that from January 2007 each PV system and small wind turbine installation will benefit from a 20% tax credit.

Fixed prices for renewable technologies in Ireland

Noel Dempsey, the Irish Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, announced the start of the new Renewable Energy Feed in tariff (REFIT) programme for renewable technologies. The new programme allows project developers to contract with any licensed electricity supplier up to notified fixed prices. This new programme replaces the previous programme based on competitive tendering and will protect the consumer interest. Dempsey announced this at the Renewable Energy for Maritime and Island Climates Conference in Dublin. Read more here.