Hungary has the third-highest share of solar energy in electricity generation in the world, according to a recent annual report by the international think tank EMBER.
Based on their data, Chile generated the largest share of electricity from solar power last year, with 19.9 percent, followed by Greece with 19 percent, and Hungary came in third globally, with 18.4 percent. In the top ten, Hungary is ahead of the Netherlands, Australia, Spain, and Germany, among others, the Energy Ministry revealed in a statement.
The research points out that Hungary more than tripled the world average of 5.5 percent last year.
According to the ministry’s statement, the sensational result is mainly due to the huge solar energy capacity built in Hungary in recent years. The expansion rate has reached a record in two consecutive years, with around 1,100 megawatts in 2022 and more than 1,600 megawatts last year. In February of this year, the total installed capacity of solar panels regularly exceeded the 6,000 megawatts previously targeted for 2030.
The revised National Energy and Climate Plan therefore predicts twice as much capacity by the beginning of the next decade. Based on known development needs, the expectation of 12,000 megawatts is very safely achievable.
The government is supporting the production and storage of clean, climate-friendly energy with a total of HUF 200 billion (EUR 515.6 million) in ongoing programs. Families can buy modern solar energy systems with storage through the Solar Energy Plus Program. So far, more than 8,800 applicants have been awarded a total of HUF 36 billion (EUR 92.8 million), an average of HUF 4 million (EUR 10,313) per property.
Private households can receive non-refundable support for the generation and storage of solar power starting January 15, 2024. The Solar Energy Plus Programme, with a budget of HUF 75 billion (EUR 195.3 million), gives private individuals with privately owned residential properties the opportunity to use non-refundable support for renewable energy sources. The Solar Energy Plus Programme will support an estimated 15,000 families.
Another call for proposals, announced in April, could result in the installation of around fifty industrial energy storage systems in Hungary by spring 2026.
Successful implementation of the programme could increase Hungarian energy storage capacity by a factor of 20 within two years.
Pumped-storage plants are used in many countries to control the natural fluctuations in the output of weather-dependent renewables and are by far the most efficient way of storing energy today. In Hungary, a feasibility study is being carried out for the first time this year on the energy justification for this investment. In spring, sampling and surface geophysical measurements are being carried out at two sites to provide basic technical and scientific information for the document.
