New Photovoltaic news you should know about (March 2024)

Restrictions on Balcony PV Panels in Some European Countries

Sweden

In 2022, the Swedish Electrical Safety Authority terminated the use of existing solar panel units with plugs in Sweden due to safety concerns. The authority determined them to be insufficiently safe.

Romania

The standard household socket in Romania is rated for a protection power of 3200W (16 amps), effectively allowing systems up to 3200W to be connected. Approval from neighbors and tenants’ associations is required to install photovoltaic panels on balconies. While no permit from the city hall is needed for land installation, installing photovoltaic power generation on balconies may necessitate such a permit, subject to historical or landscape restrictions. Hence, after obtaining consent from neighbors and tenants’ associations, it’s advisable to seek further information from the city hall in your area to determine permit requirements.

Summary: In Romania, plug-and-play photovoltaics face no restrictions but require approval from neighbors and tenants’ associations.If installing plug and play photovoltaic panels on a balcony, please refer to local regulations for specific requirements.

Netherlands

Presently, the NVWA（Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority） permits products with a connected power of up to 600W at 230 VAC to enter the market to prevent grid overload. Each grounded socket can connect to a small group of solar panels, with a maximum of 2 panels rated at 600 Wp each. If multiple sockets are present in the meter cupboard, each group can accommodate 1 or 2 solar panels. An additional requirement of self-registration on energieleveren.nl is necessary when installing solar panels independently.

Summary: In the Netherlands, plug-and-play photovoltaics face no restrictions but require self-registration on energieleveren.nl.

France Reaches 20 GW Milestone

France’s Ministry of Ecological Transition has announced that approximately 955 MW of new PV systems were connected to the French grid during the October-December period, bringing the country’s cumulative installed PV capacity to 20.0 GW by the end of December 2023.

Of this capacity, developers installed around 19.3 GW on the French mainland, with the remainder distributed across the nation’s overseas territories and Corsica.

In 2023 alone, France added 3.2 GW of new solar capacity, surpassing the 2.68 GW added in 2022 and the 2.57 GW added in 2021. The total capacity of queued solar projects awaiting grid connection now stands at 14 GW.

Furthermore, approximately 22.4 GW of solar projects are in the queue for grid connection, with around 5.8 GW already covered by preliminary connection agreements.

Notably, regions such as Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, and Grand Est have contributed 48% of the newly connected capacity this year. These regions also boast the highest installed capacities, accounting for over 53% of all cumulative power connected in France as of December 2023.

Installed Capacity Around the World

Global solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity is projected to reach up to 655 gigawatts direct current (GWdc) in the current year, as per BloombergNEF’s (BNEF) 1Q 2024 Global PV Market Outlook, marking a notable increase from approximately 444GWdc recorded in 2023.

China is poised to maintain its dominance in installed capacity in 2024, with an estimated 313.7GWdc, constituting 54.7% of the global solar PV capacity additions for the year. Following China are the United States (40.6GWdc), India (18.1GWdc), Brazil (17GWdc), and Germany (16.5GWdc).

Several European nations are anticipated to ramp up their installed solar PV capacity additions this year, including Spain (7.54GWdc), the Netherlands (5.52GWdc), and Italy (5.25GWdc). Additionally, Japan (5.47GWdc) and South Africa (4.29GWdc) are among the top ten countries in terms of installed solar PV additions.

The study also analyzed the cumulative solar PV capacity of European countries by 2030. Germany is projected to lead the continent with 215GW, followed by Italy and Spain with 79.6GW and 79.3GW, respectively. France (47.6GW), Poland (46.3GW), and the Netherlands (45.7GW) are also expected to contribute significantly to installed solar PV capacity by 2030.

The global solar PV industry witnessed remarkable growth in 2023, with installed capacity increasing from 252GWdc in 2022, representing a year-on-year growth of 76.2%. China accounted for 60.4% of the global installed capacity with an addition of 268GWdc or 216.9GWac last year. The United States added 35.2GWdc, followed by Brazil (16.9GWdc), Germany (14.1GWdc), and India (13.6GWdc).

Brazil’s Rapid Growth in Solar Energy

In a fresh monthly installment for pv magazine, the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) highlights Brazil’s robust renewable energy landscape, boasting over 85% renewable electricity, primarily from hydropower but with swiftly increasing contributions from solar and wind power. With over 2.3 million rooftop PV systems already in operation and an additional 90 million consumer units ripe for solar adoption, Brazil is experiencing rapid solar uptake, propelled by supportive energy policies and affordable PV technology.

In 2023, Brazil witnessed a staggering growth rate of over 1 GW per month in PV adoption, with rooftop installations accounting for 70% of this expansion. The cumulative installed PV capacity surged past 37 GW, reflecting a deployment rate of 60 watts per person per year, capable of doubling the installed capacity every two years.