Solar Panels Cyprus FAQ - Your Questions Answered
How much kwp can my system be?
The electricity authority will look at your last 6 consumption periods (electricity bills). They will calculate your average yearly consumption based on this and then allow up to 90% of that consumption as maximum amount of installed power (kWp = kilowatt peak) for your system. The absolute maximum that is allowed in the net metering scheme for residential houses is 10.4 kwp.How much kw will a solar system on my roof produce in Cyprus?
This cannot be clearly answered without knowing the specific details of your roof. The tilt on the roof is important, also the orientation, solar radiation in your specific location, shadows cast by other buildings, trees, etc. All of these can all influence your yield. As a rule of thumb, a realistic production range in Cyprus might be between 1.5 and 1.7 kWh per installed kwP.If a rule of thumb estimation is not enough for you, and you want to create a more professional estimation that takes into account the exact location of your house as well as the tilt and direction of your roof, you can use the PVGIS Tool that the European Union offers for free on their website. It is a free to use onlie tool that offers great detail and data that is used by professionals all over Europe to plan solar systems and can help you to estimate the yield. You can find it under https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/
Why is it important if I have single-phase or three-phase electricity?
For houses with single phase electricity, the upper limit for installed power of the solar system is 4.16 kwP. For houses with three phase electricity, the upper limit for installed power of the solar system is 10.4 kwP.I own an appartment in a complex. Can I install solar panels for my own appartment?
In this case, you can install solar panels only if the other appartment owners agree. You will need to present their signatures to show they are in agreement with your plans. Also, the panels need to be installed at an area that is your property, and the building plans need to show this. Theoretically, there might be some margin of discretion if the panels are installed on a commonly owned area (for example the roof)and all owners agree to that, but in pratice it is very unlikely that they will, so most likely you would need to own an area in your name where you could position the panels. This is often the roadblock for appartment owners.Are movable plugin solar panels allowed to operate in Cyprus?
After talking to several experts, they unanimously gave the answer: No. Plugin panels are not allowed to operate in Cyprus, and yes, this is true even if from a purely techical standpoint it would be possible.I am renting. What are my options to use solar power in Cyprus?
The solar system application has to be made by the owner of the property, so without agreeing with your landlord, it is not possible to get a solar system installed on the house you live in.The meter can be in the renters name, so that the renter receives the electricity invoices, and if the house has a solar system that runs under the net-metering scheme, the renter can also get the electricity credits procuded by the solar system. As renter, the key is to find a mutual beneficial solution with your landlord. For example, the landlord might install a solar system and sell the produced electricity to the renter at a discounted price. That way the landlord receives additional income and the renter profits from cheaper electricity prices.
Do I need optimizers?
It depends. Optimizers can help a lot if you have shadows cast on some parts of your roof. This is because if you install solar panels without optimizers, all panels can just generate yield according to the panel with the least radiation from the sun. With optimizers, every single panel is producing the maximum yield according to it’s own specific amount of sun radiation received. On the other hand, optimizers are an additional piece of equipment that will create additional cost for the installation and like every piece of equipment they can break over time, so they can might add additional cost down the road as well.What about battery storage systems?
Regulation is changing in regards to battery storage. After it was not possible in the past, the regulatory framework in the country now allows for batteries to be installed behind the meter, but so far there has been no incentive for people to actually do this. The lack of linkages to other programs, such as the net metering program, is likely the main reason for this. The first step to change this was made recently by starting a funding scheme that supports residents that own an electric or hybrid vehicle and install solar panels and a battery to charge their car.What about standalone systems that are not connected to the grid?
They are a possible, but relatively expensive, because the battery storage has a high cost and needs to be replaced earlier than the panels. Also, when the system is not connected to the grid, power management becomes an issue.A popular standalone system that makes sense is the solar pool pump, where solar panels directly drive a DC pool pump, without a battery in the circuit. Of course, this pump will only run when the sun shines. Because of that, your old pool pump would stay in place beside the new solar pump, and you would continue to use it sporadically, especially for cleaning the pool and filter, but it runs much less than before.
As pool pumps use a lot of electricity and run several hours every day, they are one place where you can save a lot of electricity. On a side note: Apart from the option of getting a solar pool pump, a grid connected variable speed pool pump is also a very good option. This pump completely replaces your old pool pump, but uses a lot less energy, and tends to be cheaper than a solar pool pump system.
Are there subsidies for PV installations in Cyprus?
Yes, there is a program by the RES and Energy Conservation Fund. The scheme supports certan installations with €375 per kW PV system with a maximum amount of €1.500. For mountain areas the amount of grant increases by 50%. You can find more information and the application form at https://www.resecfund.org.cy/enWhat is the Cyprus Net Metering Scheme and how does it work?
With the Net-Metering scheme, a smart meter is installed by the EAC that replaces your old electricity meter. Like a normal electricity meter, the smart meter will count the electricity imported from the grid to your house to be used for your consumption. But in addition to that, it will also count the electricity that is produced by your solar PV system but not directly used by you. This electricity is exported to the grid. In your electricity bills, you then will pay for the electricity you imported from the grid, minus the electricity exported to the grid. If your solar system produces more power than you use up, the EAC will give you a credit and this will be taken into the next billing period. While credits no longer expire as it was in the past, it still means it makes no sense to install a solar system that constantly produces more electricity than you will use yourself.Is the Net Metering Contract available in English?
Unfortunately the electricity authority only provides the net metering contract in Greek language. That makes it hard to know what you are actually signing. To solve this problem, I hired a lawyer and sworn translator from Greece to translate the net meteting contract into English and I make the translation available for free upon request.You can request a copy of the English translation here.