Bad BKW news for solar system owners
In November, Berner Kraftwerke AG (BKW) announced that it would reduce the price for guarantees of origin (HKN) for solar power from 4.5 centimes per kWh to 1 centime from 2022. A survey by Consumer Protection of the 15 largest energy providers shows that only BWK is reducing the price for the HKN, i.e. the ecological added value.
© Depositphotos, Smileus
For solar plant owners in BKW's catchment area, the hammer recently came in the form of a letter: As of the new year, the company wants to pay only 1 centime per kilowatt hour instead of 4.5 for the quality certification of solar power. According to the Stiftung für Konsumentenschutz (Consumer Protection Foundation), the reason for this is the higher prices for feeding electricity into the grid. The organization has conducted a survey of 15 major providers. This shows: BKW is the only major electricity company in Switzerland to reduce the price of guarantees of origin for solar power. Two companies will even pay more from 2022. According to the survey, these are the electricity companies in the cantons of Schaffhausen and Zurich.
Solar power is resold at a high price
Sara Stalder, Head of Consumer Protection: "With this price dumping, which is unique in Switzerland, BKW is torpedoing the energy turnaround and leaving solar power producers in the canton of Berne in the lurch. They now have to worry about the profitability of their plants. At the same time, BKW is making millions in profits at the expense of the solar pioneers by reselling solar power at a high price to its customers, the consumer protection group complains in its media release. This is particularly disturbing, it said, because Bernese voters did not clearly approve the climate protection article in the cantonal constitution until September 2021. "Of all companies, BKW, which is majority-owned by the canton, is ignoring the will of the people and obstructing climate protection," says consumer protection activist Stalder.
To the survey: Consumer Protection asked the 15 largest Swiss electricity providers that supply electricity directly to small customers whether they will adjust the price for guarantees of origin for solar electricity as of 2022. In addition, Consumer Protection wanted to know what electricity price is currently being paid for solar electricity and what it will be in the future. According to the information, 14 of the 15 suppliers contacted replied within a week. Here it goes to the Survey data.
Two types of solar power rebates
Solar power from private rooftops is remunerated by grid operators in two ways: On the one hand, they pay for the physical electricity. On the other hand, they pay for the ecological added value, the so-called guarantee of origin (HKN). A solar plant is only economical if the total price, consisting of the electricity price and the price for the guarantee of origin, is right.
The contribution Bad BKW news for solar system owners first appeared on Environment perspectives.
