Austrian solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity additions fell by around 100MW on the year in the first quarter of 2025, solar association PV Austria told Argus, a decrease of around 20pc.
Newly installed PV capacity in January-March stood at 399MW, PV Austria said, compared with 497MW added in the first quarter of last year, according to data from grid regulator E-control. But late reports from Austria's distribution system operators may still cause a slight uptick in capacity addition numbers for the last quarter, PV Austria said.
The association largely attributed the fall in solar additions to uncertainty around government policies, which "compromised" planning security and "jeopardised" investments into renewable energy, it told Argus. And it cited the "abrupt" end of the VAT exemption for small PV systems as well as the extension and tightening of the energy crisis contribution as further reasons for the decline.
PV Austria called on the government to pass the electricity industry act (ElWG) and the renewable energy expansion acceleration act (EABG) as soon as possible. The government in February pledged to pass the ElWG in the summer of this year.
Austria had just under 8.3GW of solar capacity installed as of the start of January, the latest data from transmission system operator APG show. Solar output more than doubled on the year in 2024 and APG has several times highlighted the challenges posed by increased PV capacity for demand forecasting and grid stability during times of solar peaks, when excess power must either be transported abroad or to storage power plants and can also lead to curtailments at wind and hydropower units.
