National Contact Point for Renewable Energy Sources

Photovoltaic systems (PV)

Photovoltaics is one of the most popular and, at the same time, one of the cheapest technologies used for generating energy from renewable sources. The production of energy from photovoltaics consists in converting solar radiation into electricity by means of semiconductor materials exhibiting the photovoltaic effect.

Photovoltaic systems can be installed on the ground, on rooftops, on building walls, on floating structures on water, or on any other surface that enables efficient collection of solar radiation for electricity generation. The use of photovoltaic systems is steadily increasing. They are utilized by individual energy consumers, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as large corporations and investors developing large-scale power plants.

The total installed capacity of photovoltaic systems at the end of October 2024 exceeded 20.5 GW. A distinctive feature of the Polish energy system is the large number of photovoltaic micro-systems (systems with a capacity of up to 50 kW), whose combined capacity amounts to nearly 12 GW. However, photovoltaic power plants with capacities reaching several hundred megawatts are increasingly common in Poland. In 2023, Poland ranked second in the European Union in terms of the increase in installed capacity in solar energy.