Spain, which has the second-largest number of solar panels in the world, and Greece lead other European countries in costs for obtaining approval to build solar power plants, a lobby group said. Obtaining approval from authorities can cost as much as 39 percent of the planning expenses in Greece and Spain, according to a study by European solar lobby groups.
That compares with 7 percent in Germany, the world’s largest market for photovoltaic panels. Spain also leads the region in delaying permits for the construction of wind parks, European Wind Energy Association said last month. It takes about 58 months in the southern European nation to win approval to build a wind farm, compared with about eight months in Finland. (Bloomberg)