Recently, there have been complaints that business entities in certain regions of our country are being forced to install solar panels, with relevant official letters being sent by certain responsible organizations in this regard, and threats of disconnection from the electricity supply if not complied with.
The Ministry of Energy, having studied the existing complaints on this topic, found it necessary to announce the following.
It was stated that the President's decrees specify tasks such as further developing relations in the field and ensuring the achievement of targeted indicators for saving electricity and natural gas, implementing necessary work on efficient and economical use of electricity and natural gas by the population and business entities, and strengthening the promotion of solar panels and solar water heaters for business entities and residential homes that have the opportunity to install such equipment.
"However, forcing someone to install solar panels, or threatening to disconnect them from the network if not installed, is not specified in any legislative documents.
Therefore, such actions are contrary to legislation and the Ministry of Energy absolutely does not support these actions.
In addition, the number of enterprises importing solar panels and their components into our country is increasing day by day.
As some "economists" have pointed out, the import of these products is not carried out by just 1-2 organizations through permission, and their activities are not controlled by the Ministry of Energy," says the official statement.
It is noted that last year the price of a 5 kW “on grid” solar panel system was around 50 million UZS, and the “off grid” system was about 65 million UZS, whereas in September 2024, these prices have become 35 million UZS and 45 million UZS respectively. This is primarily due to the competitive environment, and secondarily, due to the decrease in prices in China, the main manufacturer.
" Thirdly, it is important to note that from October 1, 2023, for legal entities and entrepreneurs, and from May 1, 2024, for residential consumers, the tiered increase in tariffs for energy resources naturally increased interest in solar panels and heliocollectors. In particular, until August 1 of this year, under the “Solar Home” program, a total of 44 516.4 kW power equivalent to 13,324 contracts, and with legal consumers, a total of 197 201 kW power equivalent to 8,776 contracts have been signed. All these citizens installed solar panels of their own will.
The Ministry of Energy absolutely disagrees with forcing business entities to install solar panels. However, it would be an added advantage if our entrepreneurs realize that installing solar panels is beneficial for their business. Moreover, today, in this market, there are not as few suppliers and demanders as some may think," says the ministry.
