Families who invested in the partially government-sponsored photovoltaic scheme will have to wait a few more weeks until they start receiving payment for the energy they are feeding into the national grid.

The software required to register photovoltaic systems in line with the regulating feed-in tariff legislation is being tested and will be launched into production by the end of this month, an Enemalta spokesman said.

Customers will receive the refund once readings are taken, backdated to when the meter was installed.

Customers’ electricity accounts will be credited with the amount to be reimbursed.

A spokesman for the Finance Ministry said the system was currently being tested and results would be audited to ensure correct billing.

“At the end of this process, which should take a few weeks, and assuming that no issues result from the testing, the photovoltaic-generation readings will be included in the bills and the credit therefore provided.”

This is not the only delay photovoltaic system customers had to put up with.

Following union directives earlier this year, Enemalta employees had refused to immediately install export meters for hundreds of angry families who invested in the scheme.

The photovoltaic system uses solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity. A net metering system offsets consumption with production and pays for any surplus.

However, most consumers opted to switch to a feed-in system, whereby they receive money from Enemalta for the electricity they generate. A third scheme encouraging Maltese households to invest in photovoltaic panels was launched by Resources Ministry in June offering applicants up to 50 per cent (maximum €3,000) of the system cost.