The field of solar energy in Armenia is developing faster than expected and has already exceeded the targets of the strategy. Solar power plants with a total capacity of 1045 megawatts are connected to the country's power system, which was facilitated by state policy and large-scale support programs. This was announced at a press conference by Hovhannes Abrahamyan, Head of the Department of Regional Energy Markets of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure.
Autonomous solar power plants, which citizens install for their own needs, have been developing especially actively in recent years. The state subsidizes interest rates on loans for their purchase, and the amount of support depends on the region: 14 percent in border areas, 12 percent in rural communities, 11 percent in cities and 9 percent in Yerevan. The program has been in effect since 2022, and if 40 million drams were allocated for it in the first year, then later the funding increased to billions. Over 34 thousand beneficiaries have been registered in total.
The program was suspended in the summer, as the sharp increase in solar capacity created difficulties for managing the power system. At the same time, the authorities emphasize that this does not mean stopping the "green" course. Now the government is working on creating a legal framework for energy storage stations and plans to stimulate the construction of solar power plants with a storage function, which should become a new stage in the development of the industry.