Solar energy to become mandatory in new buildings, report reveals

A report presented to the European Commission says the government intends to make the installation of renewable energy infrastructure mandatory in the design of new buildings.

This emerges from a progress report submitted by Malta to the European Commission with regards to its implementation of the EU's renewable energy targets.

The report states that a barrier to the growth of renewable energy sector arises from the possibility that new building structures erected in neighbourhoods could affect the potential for social and wind energy sources.

The progress report refers to the document setting the strategic objectives to guide the preparation of the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development, which is set to replace the structure plan. 

The document also questions the policy allowing penthouses to be built over third-storey levels, for reducing the potential for renewable energy infrastructure. But the progress report now reveals that the government's policy will not be limited to revising this policy but will also make renewable infrastructure mandatory.

"It is the intention of government that this plan should develop policies that will require the integration of small scale renewable energy infrastructure into the design of buildings."

Work on the formulation of this plan is to commence in 2013 and is expected to guide development until 2020. The progress report states that Malta plans to achieve its 2020 10% renewable energy target through large-scale renewable and waste to energy projects. But a "great share" of renewable energy will be generated from a relatively higher number of smaller installations mainly solar photovoltaic, solar water heating and micro wind sources.

For the first time the progress report refers to the Hexicon deep sea water wind farm project, which will be installed offshore "if the project is selected" for EU funding. The government has recently enacted the  legal ground work for the supply of renewable energy from the private sector.

Through a legal notice issued last week it has made Enemalta Corporation responsible for authorisation of electricity generators that would send the electricity they produce to the national grid. The legal notice states that  that the Malta Resources Authority is to ensure that distribution tariffs levied by Enemalta do not "discriminate against electricity from renewable energy sources, including in particular electricity from renewable energy sources produced in peripheral regions, such as island regions, and in regions of low population density."