Hungary, one in all Europe’s gigawatt-scale photo voltaic markets, is a hotbed of exercise. Nonetheless, modifications in authorities coverage and grid constraints forged an extended shadow over the rising demand for photo voltaic power. pv journal lately spoke with Ádám Szolnoki, the president of the Hungarian Photovoltaic Trade Affiliation (MANAP), concerning the newest developments out there.
pv journal: With greater than 4 GW of PV era capability put in on the finish of final yr, photo voltaic momentum is constructing in Hungary. What are the principle drivers behind this development?
Szolnok: In accordance with the newest figures from the Hungarian transmission system operator, we will probably be at greater than 4.5 GW of cumulative put in PV capability on the finish of the primary quarter of this yr.
Within the below 50 kW rooftop phase, we had two consecutive document years with about 400 MW put in. In 2021, there will probably be an enormous surge in installations attributable to fears of the top of a wonderful web metering scheme. Final yr, our centrally regulated electrical energy costs for households and small companies, that are the bottom in Europe, doubled as a result of power disaster attributable to the struggle in Ukraine and that signifies that the all need PV.
Within the over 50 kW market phase, the place utility-scale PV vegetation account for the lion’s share, set up numbers are additionally robust. There are about 5 GW of allotted capability for utility-scale PV to be constructed within the subsequent 4 to 5 years, however these are previous capacities, which means the applying was acquired three or 4 years in the past.
Grid congestion hampers Hungary’s large-scale photo voltaic launch. How severe is that this risk?
Within the final two years, no utility-scale challenge has gained grid connection. Nonetheless, about 3 GW of the initiatives that submitted functions final yr obtained their solutions from the grid operator in mid-Could that they won’t be related earlier than 2028. It took 12 months for the large ones to come back to mild PV challenge.
Final yr, the rooftop PV market took a success from the coverage shift. What will we see on this space as we speak?
In October, the Hungarian authorities launched a provision for sub-50 kW PV installations, the place new techniques can now not feed into the grid. This led to a common collapse in gross sales of recent techniques. Right now, we’re seeing some exercise on this market phase, albeit declining.
pv journal print version
The newest challenge of pv journal celebrates China’s journey from photo voltaic new entrant to putting in greater than 100 GW(AC) of panels this yr – Vincent Shaw and Frank Haugwitz think about the exceptional 20-year journey. We are going to take a look at what Indonesia wants to attain its net-zero ambition and likewise discover the stirrings of a photo voltaic renaissance in Europe, by commerce exhibits and gigafatory planning.
We anticipate a call in August relating to the potential lifting of this feed-in ban, which was initially launched as a safety measure because the grid is getting worse. A brand new web billing, which we name gross metering, is within the works however the guidelines haven’t but been outlined.
Can photo voltaic discover a method to thrive regardless of these challenges?
Undoubtedly. Within the sub-50 kW market phase, I think about that the set up numbers will probably be decrease this yr and even on the similar stage as a result of simply days earlier than the introduction of the feed-in ban about 100,000 luggage -one utility got here and so they have been delivered. On the utility-scale facet, if one in all these 5 GW of allotted capability is constructed every year, that signifies that even 2023 will probably be a document yr with greater than 1 GW in whole.
