The Solar Association reported on the number of PV systems connected in Czechia in the first half of 2024. This was made possible by combining data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the State Environmental Fund, and ČEZ Distribuce, EG.d and PRE Distribuce.
While the corporate segment is showing strong momentum and significant potential for further development, the number of installations on family homes has fallen substantially. In the first half of 2024, approximately 24,000 solar power plants with a total capacity of 484 MWp were connected. Although this was 21,000 fewer plants than in the same period of 2023, the total capacity of new photovoltaics did not decline. These installations can also be distinguished by whether they have been granted an electricity generation licence by the Energy Regulatory Office (ERÚ).
The low number of household installations can be explained by the easing of conditions on the energy market and lower energy prices. “The main motivation for households to install photovoltaics is the high price of electricity. Unfortunately, people do not see that their own energy source is a long-term investment and an important safeguard against future price increases,” says Jan Krčmář, executive director of the Solar Association. “In addition, the residential sector was affected by uncertainty surrounding subsidies under the New Green Savings programme at the beginning of the year. However, the programme is continuing, albeit under revised conditions,” he adds.
The most important indicator, the total capacity of newly connected solar power plants, reached 484 MWp in the first half of 2024, almost the same as in the comparable period of 2023 (487 MWp). Installations of corporate PV systems offset the residential market slowdown.
The deployment of installations with batteries, which make it possible to store unused electricity for later use, is also continuing. They are becoming a particularly important component of commercial projects, as they significantly affect investment economics, which are deteriorating with the growing deployment of renewable energy sources. Around 84 percent of new photovoltaic plants include storage. Last year, storage facilities with a capacity of 472 MWh were installed alongside solar panels at households and companies; so far this year, battery capacity has reached 76 MWh.
“Storage is still mostly used by households, but we are also seeing a rise in the number of storage facilities in the corporate sector and in large projects. However, the real development of larger commercial batteries will probably only begin next year, when we will have the legislative amendment (Lex OZE 3) and the implementation of approved projects from the Modernisation Fund, the National Recovery Plan or the OP PIK programme. These should amount to hundreds of MWh,” explains Jan Fousek, chairman of the board of the Solar Association and director of the AKU-BAT Energy Storage Association.
This year, large-scale batteries are increasing at installations with capacity above 1 MWp. Five of the 25 such installations have a battery. Last year, only 40 percent of companies acquired storage facilities; this year, the figure is already 58 percent.
A total of 25 power plants with capacity exceeding 1 MWp, including several ground-mounted installations, have also begun supplying electricity to the grid. Jan Krčmář comments: “If Czechia wants to meet its climate commitments, only large ground-mounted projects will bring it closer to fulfilling them. But it is not just about removing legislative barriers and speeding up permitting. At a time of volatile electricity prices, investors in these large-scale projects need at least some guarantee of future revenues.”
According to him, mechanisms such as a Contract for Difference (CfD), which guarantees a stable price for electricity supplied, or long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) would help. Thanks to a major PPA agreement announced by Enery and Benteler, for example, a 37 MWp photovoltaic power plant will be built near Dynín in South Bohemia.
The Solar Association expects capacity growth in the second half of the year as further ground-mounted photovoltaic plants are completed. Several of them are expected to be linked with large battery storage facilities providing flexibility services, such as the Energy Nest Decci project. The Electricity Data Centre (EDC), which will enable the launch of so-called energy communities, is also expected to begin operating in August. As last year, the total capacity of new photovoltaics should therefore approach 1 GWp.
This article is a machine translation of the Czech original and has not yet been fully reviewed. In case of any doubt, please refer to the Czech version.
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