Israel to set up feed-in tariff for residential and small industrial PV systems

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL: Israel's Minister of National Infrastructure (MNI) has authorized the ministry's new policy for up to 50kW size PV installations for residential and small industrial installations. This is part of a policy memorandum that will integrate Renewable energy into Israel's energy production.

A feed-in-tariff will be set by the Israeli Public Utilities Authority and energy companies all hoping the process will be quick. Prior to hearings, it has been anticipated that the tariff would be 1.61 NIS (0.31 €).

According to the authorized quotas, in the periphery of Israel (including the Arava and Negev regions) industrial installations up to 50kW, installations of residential arrays (up to 4kW) will be uncapped until December 2014.

A special 30MW quota has been reserved for public buildings roofs with an emphasis on educational institutions. Industrial installations (15-50kW) that are not to be installed in the periphery or on public buildings roofs are to be capped at 50MW.

"The new policy removes almost all the restrictions from installing domestic facilities of up to 4KW and thus promotes the green rooftops vision," said the Minister Dr. Uzi Landau.

Vladimir Budyansky, Quantum Business Group CEO was quoted saying: "This is a good policy. This is a big step in rectifying the terrible atrocity that was created by previous regulations and tariffs. Now the market has legitimate expansion borders, there is an understanding in the MNI of the importance of PV installations and renewables, coupled with an opportunity to empower the periphery of Israel, that has been less prominent, yet has the most promising climate conditions for the Renewables industry.

"The periphery has all the conditions to assist Israel in achieving its 2020 goal. We at Quantum have foreseen this almost natural turn of events and have set up our organization's HQ in Beer Sheva, the capital of the Negev and Arava region to set an example, and be right in the middle of things."

Source: Solarbuzz