Czechia deployed 484 MW of new solar in the first half of the year, according to data obtained by Solární Asociace.
The installed capacity of 484 MW in the first half of 2024 is in line with the 487 MW installed during the same period in 2023. However, the number of solar panels put into operation in Czechia fell by 21,000 in 2024 compared to 2023, pointing to a slowdown in the residential market.
The Solar Association attributed the decline in solar panel installations to the “overall calming of the situation on the energy market,” a drop in energy prices, and changes to the country’s New Green Saving subsidies.
“For households, the main argument for installing photovoltaics is the high price of electricity. Unfortunately, people forget that their own energy source is an investment for decades and an important insurance policy against future price increases,” Jan Krčmář, the executive director of Solární Asociace, told pv magazine. “We can't just rely on roofs, there we are slowly starting to hit the ceiling of possibilities, which is confirmed by the current numbers. If Czechia is serious about its climate commitments, only large land projects will bring us closer to fulfilling them.”
Czechia's solar market has mainly grown in the commercial segment this year, with corporate solar installations benefiting from support under the National Recovery Plan. The PV association said that subsidies from the Modernization Fund have become available this year, with plans to extend investment support to small commercial projects up to 50 kW. In the first half of the year, 25 power plants with capacities exceeding 1 MW each began supplying electricity to Czechia's grid, including multiple ground-mount installations.
“However, it is not enough to simply remove legislative barriers and speed up construction procedures,” Krčmář saud, citing contract for difference or long-term deals as two ways to secure the large-scale market. “At a time of volatile electricity prices, investors in such large-scale projects need at least some guarantees of future returns.”
In the second half of the year, Solární Asociace expects deployment levels to increase due to the completion of additional ground-mount projects, several of which will be connected to large battery storage facilities. It said Czechia will reach its 2023 installation figures and deploy more than 1 GW of solar by the end of this year.
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