The sharp rise in demand for photovoltaic power plants in the Czech Republic is continuing this year. In the first quarter, the number of applications for photovoltaic subsidies rose to 21.587, three times higher year on year. This is according to data from the State Environmental Fund of the Czech Republic and the Czech Association for Battery Storage and Photovoltaics (CAFT). CAFT says the time needed to install a power plant is gradually getting shorter.
Interest in installing photovoltaics began to grow last year as energy supplies became more expensive. A total of 33.760 photovoltaic power plants with a combined capacity of 288,8 megawatts (MW) were commissioned in Czechia, a year-on-year increase of 366 percent.
„The rising figures suggest that, while Czechia is heading for another record year in terms of the number of photovoltaic panels installed, the pace of growth is no longer as frenetic. My estimate is that we are moving from a phase of rapid growth towards gradual market stabilisation,“ said CAFT chairman Aleš Hradecký.
According to Štěpán Chalupa, head of the Chamber of Renewable Energy Sources, three main factors are behind the further growth in demand. „First, ministries are making their subsidy programmes increasingly accessible, and the most important one, New Green Savings, has more funding thanks to the high price of emissions allowances. Second, new legislation has been in force since January that greatly simplifies bureaucracy for apartment buildings. And third, Industry Minister Jozef Síkela (for STAN) is preparing new rules for energy sharing, and many consumers want to be ready for that,“ Chalupa said.
The growing demand is also accompanied by interest in larger power plants. According to Woltair, the average capacity of installed systems rose by one kilowatt year on year to 8,5 kilowatts. The company says battery capacity has increased even more markedly, with the average rising by three kilowatt-hours to the current ten kilowatt-hours. Another trend, according to the company, is growing interest in financing photovoltaics with a loan, which is used by up to a quarter of customers. Last year, the figure was around one tenth.
Despite continued growth in demand, installation companies are gradually shortening the time needed to install a photovoltaic power plant. According to a CAFT survey, 62 percent of companies commission a photovoltaic system on a family home within three months of signing a contract. Four out of five companies manage it within four months. According to the survey, around 19 percent of installation companies report longer waiting times. Last year, installation times could be as long as around ten months.
Despite strong demand, however, some companies are facing difficulties. Hospodářské noviny (HN) reported this week that energy holding Malina, one of the largest suppliers of rooftop photovoltaics in Czechia, took on more orders in previous months than it is able to fulfil. According to HN, the company’s owner has already offered it for sale, but so far without success. HN also noted, however, that the company is continuing with installations.
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.
reuters.com, 10 November 2026, 04:28
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