The Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) has identified 110 suspected cases of irregular photovoltaic installations at commercial premises since launching an inspection campaign in June.
EAC spokeswoman Christina Papadopoulou said 77 on-site inspections have so far been carried out, with illegalities or irregularities confirmed in 22 cases. The systems were immediately disconnected.
Speaking to AlphaTV, Papadopoulou said most of the cases involved sports grounds, hotels, factories and shops.
In 17 of the 22 cases, no application to install a photovoltaic system had been submitted at all.
She highlighted one case involving a sports ground where a large number of solar panels had been installed next to a main road without the required application.
Papadopoulou said illegally operating photovoltaic systems also have consequences for owners who comply with the rules, as the additional electricity entering the grid increases the need for renewable energy curtailments.
This, she said, resulted in unequal and unfair treatment of legitimate photovoltaic system owners.
She also warned of the safety risks posed by unauthorised installations.
In one case, two irregular photovoltaic energy storage systems were discovered after the premises where they had been installed were completely destroyed by fire.
