First solar power plant launched in Zabaykalsky Krai

The first 150KW solar power plant has been launched in Zabaykalsky Krai. The plant was commissioned in late 2015.

According to the press service of the region’s Legislative Assembly, the plant is located at a site owned by a garbage disposal company and is supposed to fully meet its needs for energy.

The plant has 510 solar panels. It took the constructors one month to install the equipment. The plant is connected to the existing electricity network, so, if it is short of energy, it will get it from the grid and vice versa, if it produces more energy than the company will need it will give it to other consumers.

The project is supposed to pay off in some 4-5 years. The plant is expected to serve for 25 years. The local authorities have paid for part of the equipment.

By 2020, renewables are supposed to produce 4.5% of all electricity in Russia. The Russian government is planning to build four big solar power plants and to enlarge the share of solar energy to 1% of all energy. Now the share is just 0.001%.

Alternative, particularly, solar energy is developing very slowly in Russia as it is more expensive than gas and such projects are strongly dependent on weather conditions. In 2015, the government adopted a resolution to encourage the use of renewable energy sources on retail electricity markets, which implies state support for entities using renewables. According to the International Energy Agency, the share of oil and gas in Russia will drop to 66% by 2040, so, the country may need sun and wind as substitutes.

Unlike Russia, the world is much more active in developing renewables. According to EADaily, $330bn more was invested in alternative energy in 2015, which is 4% more than in 2014.