By NewsBlogger Belgium experienced a significant increase in solar energy growth last year, with 1.8 GW of new PV systems installed, while the United States saw a substantial expansion of solar energy in 2023, with 32.4 GW installed, marking a 51% increase from the previous year.
At a glance
- Belgium saw a significant increase in solar energy growth last year, with approximately 1.8 GW of new PV systems installed.
- The majority of the newly deployed capacity, around 1.4 GW, was installed in Flanders, with an additional 426 MW in Wallonia, and 11 MW in the Brussels metropolitan region.
- Energie Commune suggested that another 200 MW of PV capacity could still be unaccounted for in Belgium.
- In the United States, solar energy expanded substantially in 2023, with 32.4 GW installed, marking a 51% increase from the previous year.
- The EU transport infrastructure can potentially host 403 GW of vertical PV capacity, equating to an annual energy production of 391 TWh.
The details
Belgium saw a significant increase in solar energy growth last year, with approximately 1.8 GW of new PV systems installed.
The installations were distributed nationwide, with 1,060 MW in 2022, 850 MW in 2021, 1,010 MW in 2020, 544 MW in 2019, and 367 MW in 2018. Most of the newly deployed capacity, around 1.4 GW, was installed in Flanders, with an additional 426 MW in Wallonia and 11 MW in the Brussels metropolitan region.
Each of Belgium’s three macro-regions has its own regulatory framework for solar and renewable energy.
Energie Commune Statistics
Energie Commune, a Belgian organization, indicated that the statistics are based on provisional data and suggested that another 200 MW of PV capacity could still be unaccounted for.
Moreover, the growth for last year may be even higher than officially reported.
The rise in energy and electricity prices in Belgium had a significant impact, motivating some individuals to invest in photovoltaic installations.
The three Regions also benefited from a temporary reduction in the VAT rate to 6% for the purchase of photovoltaic installations on residential buildings under ten years old.
U.S. Solar Energy Expansion
In the United States, solar energy expanded substantially in 2023, with 32.4 GW installed, marking a 51% increase from the previous year.
Solar accounted for 53% of all new electric generating capacity added to the grid in 2023, with projections indicating that the total U.S. solar capacity could reach 673 GW by 2034. The U.S. solar industry faces uncertainties related to policy outcomes, particularly in light of the upcoming presidential election.
There exists a 200-GW discrepancy between high- and low-case forecasts for U.S. solar capacity by 2034.
Every segment of the solar market experienced year-over-year growth in 2023, with energy storage usage continuing to expand nationwide.
Texas led the nation in new solar installations in 2023, adding 6.5 GW, while California’s residential solar market is projected to face challenges in 2024. Additionally, states like Colorado, Ohio, and Wisconsin were among the top 10 solar states, and more than half of U.S. states now have 1 GW of total installed solar capacity.
The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) comprehensively assessed the potential for monofacial and bifacial vertical PV installations along roads and railways in the EU. This study represented the first pan-European investigation into the total PV capacity associated with transportation infrastructure.
Researchers utilized open-access spatially explicit data for road analysis, incorporating motorways, trunk roads, and primary roads, while rail analysis relied on data from the European Commission’s Geographical Reference database.
The analysis highlighted the impact of road or rail direction on the orientation of PV systems.
The EU transport infrastructure can potentially host 403 GW of vertical PV capacity, equating to an annual energy production of 391 TWh.
On average, the annual energy potential per kilometer of the EU’s transport infrastructure is approximately 0.65 GWh for bifacial PV. Cyprus and Latvia could potentially cover 75% of their current electricity per capita through vertical PV installations.
Recent research from the Netherlands revealed that vertical PV systems yield unexpected gains compared to horizontal arrays, attributed to lower operating temperatures resulting in a 2.5% higher annual energy output.
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| pv-magazine.com |
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| – Belgium installed around 1.8 GW of new PV systems last year – 1,060 MW were installed in 2022, 850 MW in 2021, 1,010 MW in 2020, 544 MW in 2019, and 367 MW in 2018 – Approximately 1.4 GW of last year’s newly deployed capacity was installed in Flanders – Around 426 MW was deployed in Wallonia – The metropolitan region of Brussels installed another 11 MW – Each of Belgium’s three macro-regions has its own regulatory framework for solar and renewable energy – Energie Commune said the statistics are based on provisional data – Another 200 MW of PV capacity could still be missing – Growth for last year may be even higher than reported – The rise in energy and electricity prices had a strong impact on Belgium – Some were motivated to invest in photovoltaic installations – The three Regions benefited from a temporary reduction in the VAT rate to 6% for the purchase of a photovoltaic installation installed on residential buildings that are less than 10 years old |
| solarpowerworldonline.com |
|---|
| – In 2023, the United States installed 32.4 GW of solar energy, a 51% increase from 2022 – Solar accounted for 53% of all new electric generating capacity added to the grid in 2023 – Total U.S. solar capacity is expected to grow to 673 GW by 2034 – The U.S. solar industry faces uncertainties related to policy outcomes, including the upcoming presidential election – There is a 200-GW difference between the high- and low-case forecasts for U.S. solar by 2034 – Every solar market segment saw year-over-year growth in 2023 – Energy storage use continues to grow across the country – Texas led the nation for new solar installations in 2023 with 6.5 GW – California’s residential solar market is projected to struggle in 2024 – Colorado, Ohio, and Wisconsin were among the top 10 solar states in 2023 – More than half of U.S. states have 1 GW of total installed solar capacity |
| pv-magazine.com |
|---|
| – The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) assessed the potential of monofacial and bifacial vertical PV installations along roads and rails in the EU – The study was the first pan-European investigation of the total PV potential associated with roads and railways – Researchers used open-access spatially explicit data for road analysis, including motorways, trunk roads, and primary roads – For rail analysis, data from the Geographical Reference database of the European Commission was used – The overall analysis reflected the limitation imposed by the road or rail direction at a given location for the orientation of the PV system – The EU transport infrastructure may potentially host 403 GW of vertical PV capacity, corresponding to an annual energy production of 391 TWh – The annual energy potential per km of the EU’s transport infrastructure is approximately 0.65 GWh/km/yr for bifacial PV – Cyprus and Latvia have the potential to cover 75% of their current electricity consumption per capita through vertical PV installations – Recent research from the Netherlands found that vertical PV systems provide unexpected yield gains compared to horizontal arrays – Vertical installations have much lower operating temperatures, resulting in a 2.5% higher annual energy yield |
