Until end of May, Czech companies can apply for funding if they are planning a PV installation with a storage option. This is meant to increase the available storage capacities, as 5 kw/h of battery storage is required for every kilowatt of PV power.

In order to increase the available storage capacities for solar energy, the Czech government has launched a new funding campaign called „OP Podnikani a inovace pro konkurenceschopnost“ or OPPIK, which translates as „companies and innovations for competitiveness“. Until end of May, local companies can still apply to receive a part of the 18.7 million euro fund. In order to keep supporting these projects, a second round of funding is already in preparation and will be granted later this year.

Requirements have to be met

There are no requirements regarding the size of the installation, but it has to be ensured that 5 kw/h of storage space are created for every kilowatt of PV power. Installations that meet these requirements can potentially benefit from the fund and may be granted between 1900 euros and 1.1 million euros. The winners of the current round will be announced in autumn.

Many companies not aware of funding

By the end of last year, the entire country only had a total PV capacity of 2.1 GW, even though the government was prepared to encourage further projects through funding. However, out of the 9.8 million euros that were to be granted, a mere 1.7 million were actually used, the reason being that most companies were not aware of the funding options. As a result, the Czech Ministry of Environment is encouraged to improve and increase their public relations work.

Funding encouraged by EU

The European Union promotes the OPPIK program, aiming to make Czech companies more competitive on the European market. The idea behind OPPIK is to provide financial support for the modernisation of production plants for new innovations, means of marketing and training and projects that increase energy efficiency.

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