Estimates from the Slovak Association of the Photovoltaic Industry (SAPI) indicate that Slovakia likely added around 220 MW of solar capacity in 2023.
The figures, based on statistics from regional grid operators in Slovakia, represents a significant year-on-year increase in PV capacity. In 2022, Slovakia deployed 60 MW, while in 2021 it added 5 MW.
SAPI Director Ján Karaba told pv magazine the main market drivers in 2023 were a legislative framework supporting prosumer PV installations, a grant scheme for small residential PV systems, and a grant scheme for commercial and municipal PV installations that expired at the end of the year.
“By far the most capacity was installed in residential and C&I segments,” Karaba said.
This was likely supported by a new phase of the Slovak Innovation and Energy Agency’s residential PV rebate scheme, which launched in July and offered a total budget of €140 million ($153.3 million) for 2023, covering up to 50% of purchase and installation costs.
The good performance of the rooftop segment, however, was not matched by the utility-scale PV segment.
“Only a handful of large scale installations were connected to the grid last year,” Karaba explained.
The utility-scale solar segment needs the national regulator to overhaul the way grid-connection costs are charged to producers, because now they are one of the highest in the European Union, he added.
SAPI estimates that Slovakia’s solar market will grow by around 300 MW in 2024 and by roughly the same amount in 2025.
In November, Slovakia’s Ministry of Economy published a call for bids in the capex auction scheme under its recovery and resilience plan, which will close later this month. The auction call will not allocate any capacity, but will accept bids of up to 5 MW of installed power. Meanwhile, a capex financial support scheme for enterprises will start this year, and Karaba said it will “likely boost the C&I segment.”
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, Slovakia had around 537 MW of installed PV capacity at the end of 2022. If SAPI's figures are confirmed, the country surpassed 737 MW at the end of December 2023.
Author: Patrick Jowett
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