Sweden Installed Over 1.6 GW New Solar In 2023

• Sweden's total solar PV capacity additions at the end of 2023 reached almost 4 GW 
• It comprises more than 1.6 GW installed in 2023, compared to 794 MW added in the previous year 
• Out of the cumulative capacity, solar systems under 20 kW capacity represent 60% of the 252,000 grid-connected installations 

Swedish Energy Agency Energimyndigheten counts the solar PV installed capacity of Sweden to have increased by over 100% annually in 2023, taking the cumulative at the end of December last year close to 4 GW. 

The agency says solar facilities now produce almost as much electricity as is used in the entire Uppsala County during a year, which is about 3 TWh. It forecasts that solar power will increase to 9 TWh in 2027. 

The addition of 1.607 GW new PV capacity in 2023 is an improvement over 794 MW that came online in 2022, and 489 MW in 2021. 

Explaining the reasons behind this consistent annual growth of solar in the country, Swedish Energy Agency's Analyst Elin Larsson said, "Two factors that contribute to the continued great interest in installing solar cells are that many people see it as a way to contribute to climate benefits, at the same time that costs for solar panels have gone down and made the investment pay off faster." 

At the end of 2023, the country had around 252,000 grid-connected solar PV installations. A majority of these, representing 60% of the total or 2.4 GW, are small-scale systems of under 20 kW. 

Just like in 2022, installations under 20 kW capacity registered a strong increase in 2023.  This segment installed a total of 1.05 GW in 2023, according to the solar energy association Svensk Solenergi. 

Solar energy systems within the range of 20 kW to 1 MW capacity improved annual installations by 94%, representing a total of 420 MW. Cumulatively, these account for 33% of the total. 

The association points to the 500% improvement in the installation rate of solar plants of over 1 MW capacity. These comprised 36 new projects with a combined 130 MW capacity. In terms of aggregate capacity, this segment represents only 7% of the total power. 

Recently, European Energy called for legislative changes to Sweden's large-scale solar power plant planning and permitting needs after the country's Land and Environment Court of Appeal refused it permission to build a 128.5 MW solar plant. The Danish developer was promoting the project as the largest solar power plant in Sweden (see Land Challenges For European Energy's Svedberga PV Plant).