Austria’s cumulative installed solar PV capacity at the end of 2023 expanded to 6,395 MW with the addition of 2,603 MW last year, according to official installation numbers released by the Federal Ministry for Climate Action.

Shared by the national solar PV association Photovoltaic Austria (PV Austria), the data shows that the country added close to 134,000 new PV systems in 2023, reflecting an increase of 158% over 2022.

Solar PV now contributes 12% share to the national electricity demand. Total sales in the planning and construction sector increased to €4.3 billion in 2023.

Despite this growth, the government report admits to future challenges to the growth of solar PV technology, including increasing problems with access to the grid and surplus solar energy generation.

The country targets to install 41 GW solar PV capacity by 2040 to achieve carbon neutrality. To achieve this target, it will need 21 GW by 2030 to achieve 100% renewable electricity supply. However, it has only installed 30% of the PV capacity required by 2030.

According to the government report, the country needs to have an unbureaucratic environment to ensure the expansion of innovative domestic PV module and cell production capacity along the entire PV value chain if it does not want to be left behind in the massive global expansion trends of the PV industry.

In this context, maintaining or increasing domestic and European value creation is a key concern in order to secure the long-term availability of components and the supply chains of this technology, which now covers more than 10% of national electricity needs, reads the report.

Recently, an E-Control report pegged Q1/2024 solar PV installations at 497 MW, driven by private households (see Austria Added Close To 500 MW New PV In Q1/2024).