Solar Incentives in Bulgaria

Bulgaria's Recovery and Resilience Plan (Plan за Възстановяване и Устойчивост) includes residential renewable-energy components funded by the EU NextGenerationEU mechanism. Tranches periodically open through the Ministry of Energy with cooperation from the Ministry of Regional Development for residential solar PV + battery storage. Maximum grant approximately BGN 15,000 per project. Eligibility requires Bulgarian residency, ownership of the qualifying property, and installation by a registered installer. Tranches are time-limited; oversubscription within days is typical. Confirm current open programs at me.government.bg before contracting an installer.

Bulgaria's net metering, regulated by the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC, КЕВР), provides credits for residential prosumer surplus exports. The compensation rate is set at the reference price for solar (regulated below retail). Distribution operators ČEZ Electro Bulgaria, Energo-Pro, and EVN Bulgaria handle interconnection. The framework was clarified in 2022–2023 amendments simplifying residential prosumer registration and reducing administrative friction. Self-consumption remains the dominant economic value; export compensation is supplementary.

Bulgaria applies 20% DDS (Данък върху Добавената Стойност, VAT) to solar PV equipment and installation. There is no general residential renewable-energy exemption. The Recovery and Resilience grant programme partially offsets the cost burden; equipment carries full VAT.