Poland
Act on Renewable Energy Sources ('RES Act', Dz.U. 2015 poz. 478)
- support for max 15 years from the start of renewable energy production in the given installation;
- support for hydropower of max 5 MW of capacity;
- support for biomass co-firing installations of less than 150 MW capacity capped to equivalent of the average generation over 2011-2013;
- large consumers (over 100 GWh of electricity consumed annually) and commodity brokerage houses are required to obtain certificates of origin for 14% and 15% of their annual electricity consumption for 2015 and 2016 respectively or pay the substitution fee. From 2017 the share is min 20%, but can be reduced by the Minister of Economy, if necessary due to specific market conditions. A unit substitution fee is set to a constant 300.03 PLN/MWh (2014 level, approx. 72 €/MWh), which should stabilise the price of certificates, as purchasing and redeeming of certificates of origin will only be allowed if the average market price of certificates remains below 75% of the substitution fee.
The Act also introduces a feed-in tariff system for micro installations of up to 10 kW (max 40 kW under special conditions - art. 41.7), while guaranteeing purchase by electricity distribution companies at 100% of market price for the next 15 years, until no later than December 31, 2035 (art. 41.5). The support also covers the so-called ‘prosumers,' who both produce and consume their own electricity. The subsidies amount to PLN 0.75 (EUR 0.18) per kWh to prosumers with a capacity of up to 3 kW (hydropower, wind, solar), and PLN 0.40-0.70 (EUR 0.10-0.17) for those with a capacity between 3 and 10 kW (biogas, hydropower, wind, solar). Moreover, there are no licensing/concession requirements for those micro generators that do not have active business. The Act was amended in June 2018, alongside the 2016 Act on investments in wind power and the 1994 Construction Act, in order to boost offshore wind investment. It was further amended in August 2019 to extend the agreements on grid connection and updates the auction mechanism.
The Act was notably amended by bill 1129/2021 to extend the period for auctions of energy sales, set auction volumes, and remove obligations for small producers of renewable energy.
The Act was notably amended by bill 1129/2021 to extend the period for auctions of energy sales, set auction volumes, and remove obligations for small producers of renewable energy.