Nine people are facing enforcement action for ignoring guidelines on the installation of photovoltaic panels, after public complaints spurred the planning authority to take action.

….on other sites, enforcement action is still active since the owners failed to rectify the irregularities

Notices were issued to 10 home owners but only one has since re-installed the panels properly, a spokesman for the Malta Environment and Planning Authority said.

The other nine are now listed on the authority’s “pending list” for enforcement action.

Among the guidelines breached are those connected to height limitation and proper authorisation.

Government financial schemes, first launched in 2009, led to solar panels mushrooming across the island as Mepa does not require a permit for their installation.

Applicants only need approval from Enemalta Corporation and the Malta Resources Authority.

Property owners have to abide by 2007 guidelines about mounting solar energy facilities on rooftops.

However, these have not always been respected.

Now, following the installation of about 6,000 PV panels, Mepa is revising the installation guidelines to tone down the visual impact of the large, dark panes on the skyline.

“Given the significant increase in the installation of PVs and solar water heaters on rooftops, Mepa has recently embarked on an exercise to evaluate, and, if necessary, introduce new guidelines that will try to find the best balance between encouraging domestic renewable energy infrastructure and effective visual mitigation measures,” a spokesman told The Times last month.

A reputed PV panel supplier had said suppliers were obliged to inform home owners about the guidelines.

But there were cases when owners instructed the supplier to ignore them and the supplier obeyed.

Asked what action was being taken to ensure planning guidelines were respected, the spokesman said Mepa sometimes carried out an inspection, if the Resources Authority requested it, before a grant is approved.

“The main aim is to ascertain that the installation of the modules and the fixing of the ancillary frame works and arrays are in line with the established planning guidelines governing such development,” he said.

Mepa also investigates any reports of breached guidelines it receives from the public.

Random inspections are not carried out on installed panels.

“Over the past years, the authority initiated enforcement action in 10 separate cases… In one case, the home owner dismantled the equipment after having been served with the enforcement notice.

“He later re-installed it on another part of the roof, which was deemed acceptable in terms of the established guidelines. This enforcement notice was closed.

“However on nine other sites, enforcement action is still active since the owners failed to rectify the irregularities,” the spokesman said.