Svensk Solenergi - Elite Home & Solar

Solar Energy

Batteries pave the way for more renewable electricity

April 8, 2025 ryansheehanrts

2023 was an extreme year for solar power in Sweden, with a turbulent European energy crisis creating a unique interest in PV. In 2024, installations returned to the level of 2022. At the same time, recent figures from the Swedish Energy Agency show that investments in batteries are now increasing significantly, strengthening the opportunities to integrate more weather-dependent, renewable power generation into the energy system.

We see fewer PV installations in 2024, which is to be expected as 2023 was an extreme year. At the same time, we see a lot of interest in batteries, which is more than gratifying,’ says Anna Werner, CEO of Svensk Solenergi (Swedish Solar Energy Association).

High interest in larger solar installations

It is mainly the residential market for PV systems that has decreased compared to 2023. Interest in larger solar plants remains high, with a large number of applications awaiting decisions.

Co-located solar park for a resilient grid completed in Sweden

“We see that smaller solar parks, up to 10 hectares, receive decisions relatively quickly. Here, the county administrations have become much better, thanks to more experience and some precedent-setting decisions. For larger parks, approvals still sometimes take an unreasonable amount of time and the queues are long,” says Anna Werner.

Fivefold increase of commercial and utility-scale batteries

According to figures from Svensk Solenergi and the Swedish Tax Agency, the installation of residential battery systems will increase by 40 percent by 2024. Batteries are important for integrating more solar power into the electricity system, as they enable the storage of intermittent electricity and provide flexibility and stability to the grid.

Sweden: Batteries are not a ‘threat to the grid’

“Batteries allow us to store electricity that is dependent on the weather throughout the day. But they are also very effective in reinforcing the electricity grid, as they can quickly balance the grid in the event of rapid power outages and can be used for frequency regulation – maintaining the balance between production and consumption,” says Anna Werner.

Market for hybrid power plants in Europe still in the starting blocks

In addition to the great interest in residential battery installations, large battery parks are also on the rise in Sweden. Svensk Solenergi estimates that the capacity of commercial batteries and large-scale battery parks will increase fivefold from 200 MW in 2023 to more than 1,000 MW by the end of 2024. (hcn)

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Solar Energy

Svensk Solenergi – Sweden will be installing more than 1 GW until year’s end

November 27, 2024 ryansheehanrts

The country’s solar association Svensk Solenergi has been collecting monthly statistics from the three major electricity network companies for several years. In 2023 the country installed around 1.4 GW new solar power.

The forecast for the entire year 2024 predicts 65,000 installations with just above 1 GW of power. However, the forecast now relies on a strong autumn and a clear effect of reduced interest rates.

Up and down in the market

During the first half of 2024, the number of pre-registered solar installations increased each month until June, which saw a slight downturn. A total of 31,400 installations were pre-registered during this period; however, this is about 40% fewer than the same period in 2023, which was historically strong with 56,100 installations following the energy crisis in 2022.

Sweden: Less residential – more commercial PV installations

These sectors are benefiting from favorable financial incentives, such as tax deductions and policies allowing small producers to sell excess electricity back to the grid. This strong demand, particularly for rooftop solar systems, aligns with Sweden’s broader renewable energy goals, which aim for 65% renewable generation by 2030 and 100% by 2040.

More news about the Swedish market

Utilities are facing significant challenges

However, the utility-scale solar market is facing significant challenges. The discontinuation of certain tax relief schemes has slowed the pace of new installations, and large-scale solar projects are encountering delays due to permitting issues and competition from other renewable sources like wind and hydropower. Despite these obstacles, there is growing interest in subsidy-free solar projects, especially in southern Sweden, where energy demand is high.

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Anna Werner, CEO of Svensk Solenergi, highlights the need for continued policy support to overcome these challenges: “To maintain and accelerate the growth of solar energy in Sweden, it is crucial that we continue to see strong governmental support, particularly in streamlining the permitting process and ensuring favorable conditions for large-scale projects. This will allow us to meet our renewable energy targets and ensure that solar energy becomes a more significant part of Sweden’s energy mix.”

Website of Svensk Solenergi

As Sweden continues to invest in grid infrastructure and renewable energy sources, solar power is expected to play an increasingly important role. However, its growth will largely depend on the successful implementation of supportive policies and the resolution of current bottlenecks in project development. (Carina Aspenberg)

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Solar Energy

New guideline for increased fire protection in battery storage systems

October 22, 2024 ryansheehanrts

The new guideline sets a clear standard for how battery storage systems should be installed to minimize the risk of fires and other incidents. The guideline is specifically designed to provide practical guidance for the installation of batteries in both commercial and residential buildings, as well as in free-standing outdoor structures. It also covers the latest fire protection requirements for large-scale batteries in containers, increasingly common in large solar and wind farms.

“Energy storage systems are an indispensable technology in our transition to a fully renewable electricity system with very cheap, weather-dependent electricity, but we cannot ignore the potential risks,” said Anna Werner, CEO of the Swedish Solar Energy Federation. “This guideline is a step forward to ensure that the rapidly growing energy storage sector remains safe, reliable and sustainable.”

Main content of the guideline

– Categorization of battery systems based on size and location, with clear information on the requirements for installations in houses, commercial buildings and large-scale battery systems.

– Enhanced fire protection requirements are presented, in addition to general ones, including recommendations for fire compartmentation, separation distances and ventilation.

– Recommendations for risk assessment, with particular focus on large-scale battery installations where risk analysis should be carried out.

– Recommendations for signage for all types of installations. For larger installations, there are also recommendations on response cards for the local emergency services.

The new guideline is a support for installers and property owners and provides clear information on fire protection around the battery itself. The guideline also contains appendices with guidance for fire protection in batteries in other national and international regulations and guidelines, including from the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning and local emergency services.

Statistics on batteries

The number of people who were granted tax deductions for the installation of home batteries increased from 2,000 in 2021 to 43,000 in 2023. The increase looks set to continue to new levels and the installed capacity of home batteries is estimated to increase from just over 200 MW to almost 400 MW in 2024.

Statistics are not available for larger batteries, but both commercial batteries in buildings and industry and large-scale battery parks are expected to increase from around 100 MW each at the end of 2023 to well over 1 000 MW in total in 2024.

The amount of batteries pre-qualified to supply ancillary services to Svenska kraftnät increased in 2023 from 40 MW to 80 MW. At the beginning of October 2024, more than 530 MW was pre-qualified and at the same time a large number of projects are waiting to undergo pre-qualification. (hcn)

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Solar Energy

Sweden: Less residential – more commercial PV installations

August 27, 2024 ryansheehanrts

As expected, Svensk Solenergi’s new statistics show a sharp decline in the number of installed photovoltaic systems in the first half of 2024 compared to the corresponding period in 2023. At the beginning of 2023, the photovoltaic market was extremely hot as a result of previously record-high electricity prices and an uncertain world situation. The year 2024 started instead with low electricity prices and an uncertain legal situation regarding green tax credits for batteries.

“The slowdown in the first half of 2024 may look dramatic if you compare it to 2023. But if we look back a couple of years, we see that the number of installations is slightly higher than in 2022 and twice as many as in 2021, despite the uncertainties surrounding the green tax deduction that characterized the first half of 2024,” says Anna Werner, CEO of Swedish Solar Energy.

Recovery of the residential PV market remains to be seen

Up to and including July 2024, 27,500 photovoltaic installations were connected in Sweden, just under a thousand more than in the same period in 2022 (26,600) and twice as many as in the first half of 2021 (13,500). In 2023, 66,000 installations were connected during the same period.

The statistics show differences in the development between small and medium-sized installations. Homeowners with small installations (less than 20 kW connected power) are at 260 MW in grid-connected power until July 2024, just below 2022 when the corresponding figure was 270 MW.

„In June, the Swedish Tax Agency backed down and once again allows green tax deductions for batteries in photovoltaic systems, as intended by the legislator. Now we’ll see how the housing market recovers during the rest of the year when homeowners don’t have to drive around with the handbrake on by mistake,” says Anna Werner.

Increase of 75% of commercial PV installations

Medium-sized installations (20-1,000 kW connected power) show a significant increase in installed power compared to two years ago. These plants are mainly installed by real estate companies and other businesses, and the segment went from 110 MW connected capacity through July 2022 to 190 MW in the same period in 2024, an increase of around 75%.

“Commercial players continue to increase their investments, which shows that solar energy remains a good long-term investment,” says Anna Werner, CEO of Swedish Solar Energy.

460 MW installed in the first half of 2024

A total of 460 MW of solar power was installed in Sweden during the first half of the year, which corresponds to an additional electricity production equivalent to the annual consumption (5,000 kWh/year) of 80,000 villas with geothermal heating.

Also see: Further growth of the Swedish PV market

The new statistics on the solar market are based on data from electricity grid companies representing about 50% of the market. Based on their data, Solar Sweden has calculated an estimate for the whole market. (hcn)

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