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At Least 1.2 GW PV Expected For Poland By 2020

According to IEO, Poland’s total solar power capacity could reach up to 3.2 GW in a best case scenario. Of this 500 MW would come from residential PV. (Source: IEO)

Anu Bhambhani
  • Poland installed 27 MW out of 360 MW auctioned by the government in first and second PV auctions by end of May 2018
  • This 27 MW capacity has been installed through 40 systems of up to 1 MW capacity
  • IEO expects cumulative PV capacity of the country to exceed 1.2 GW at the end of 2020 under 'normal circumstances' and 3.2 GW under 'favorable circumstances'

The Polish government awarded around 360 MW in the first and second solar power pilot auctions in December 2016 and June 2017. However, till the end of May 2018, only 40 systems with a total capacity of 27 MW have come online. These projects have up to 1 MW capacity.

The time limit for the awarded capacity to come online is 24 months. Taking this into account, thePolish renewable energy institute, Instytut Energetyki Odnawialnej (IEO) expects the country to reach 1.2 GW of cumulative PV capacity by the end of 2020.Under more 'favorable conditions' the capacity could reach 3.2 GW, including 500 MW in prosumer and 1.5 GW in the solar farm segment, the institute estimates.

At the end of 2017, Poland's installed PV capacity was 280 MW, which had increased to around 300 MW at the release of the IEO report 'Rynek Fotowoltaiki w Polsce 2018'. IEO expects PV to become one of the leading renewable energy technologies in terms of installed capacity in Poland

Poland is planning to tender 750 MW of solar power projects of up to 1 MW capacity, which according to IEO could happen in Q3/2018.

"The current situation in the entire renewable energy sector creates new circumstances and a chance to improve regulation and support for photovoltaics. Current trends indicate that Poland will miss by 3.6% to fulfil the obligation of 15% of RES energy in final gross energy consumption by 2020, including over 2% in RES electricity," stress the authors of the report.

The report is accessible on the IEO website.

Local PV industry association Polska PV reported in March 2018 that Poland's residential solar market connected 81.3 MW to the grid in 2017, taking the total in this segment to 172 MW (see Polish Residential PV Capacity Tops 172 MW).