Austria’s Battery Tariff Overhaul Draws Industry Fire Ahead of 2027 Launch

A new network tariff regulation approved by Austria’s energy regulator E-Control will impose charges on battery storage systems based on 15-minute peak demand — and industry associations warn the change could sharply erode investment incentives and stall a portion of projects in development.

The rule, known as SNE-G-V, takes effect on 1 January 2027 and reshapes how grid fees are calculated. Over a three-year phase-in, consumers will shift from a model in which 90 percent of charges reflect energy volume to a 50-50 split between volume and peak power measured in 15-minute intervals. The reform also introduces reduced-rate zones for charging when generation is in surplus — daytime in summer, overnight in winter — and allows distribution operators to curtail a site’s electricity draw up to twice daily under flexible connection contracts.

Three renewable and storage sector bodies — Windkraft Österreich, the solar grouping PV&B Austria, and the BESS industry union — say the regulation fails to account for the specific operating characteristics of batteries and are calling for parity with the rules that apply to pumped-hydro plants. E-Control has rejected that criticism, projecting annual savings of up to €300 million through smoother load management.

The regulator did include ten discount options for systems operating in a grid-friendly mode, but investors have called those concessions insufficient. Industry groups also expressed frustration with the consultation process: market participants submitted more than 1,000 pages of comments, yet energy storage specialists were excluded from the final rounds of tariff negotiations.

Source: ESS News (pv magazine)