Solar Energy in Bulgaria
The interest in construction of solar power installations in Bulgaria marked a sharp increase with the accession of the country as a member of the European Union (EU) on January 1, 2007, and the approval of a preferential feed-in tariff for such units by the State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission on December 29, 2006.
The confident steps of the state administration towards the popularization of the European values and the harmonization of the legislation of the EU lead to the opening of a new niche in the energy sector. The decentralized production of energy from renewable sources started to grow rapidly. The first projects in this sphere were mini-hydroelectric and wind power plants.
The strategic goals defined in the Kyoto Protocol for a decrease in the carbon emissions, preservation of the environment and lower dependence on fossil fuels, as well as the decisions of the European Parliament, urged the development of solar power plants.
Considering the geographic location of the country in the southern part of Europe and its solar potential in a situation of a global warming in the last years, the business in Bulgaria and Helios Power in particular launched an intense research and development of solar generators.
The confidence in the success of solar power projects increased due to the instability of the energy system in the country. For the first time during the summer of 2007 the peak values of the daily electricity consumption in the hottest days of June and July exceeded the peak values of night consumption and that outlined the question for the peak overloading when the main electric power facilities are stopped for a regular maintenance.
All these factors created a favorable climate for the development of large-scale projects.
