Featured in Beyond solar – 08-2023

Records fall, market stalls

The solar industry sat up and took notice when Portugal held two record-breaking national PV auctions in 2019 and 2020, setting new global low prices for solar energy. However, sluggish progress on those much-heralded projects is now weighing on the nation’s clean energy ambitions.
The Ricardo Totta project in southern Portugal was completed in October 2021, and sells power via a PPA with Spanish company Audax. Projects tendered in Portugal’s 2019-20 auctions have faced delays due to rising prices along the PV supply chain. | Photo: Caparica Solaris/João Garrido

Portugal’s cumulative solar capacity reached almost 2.6 GW at the end of 2022, outpacing other renewables. The country added 890 MW of new solar systems last year, according to figures published by the country’s Directorate General for Energy and Geology (DGEG). That figure fell short of the 1.1 GW predicted by the body, however, as …

pv magazine
This article is part of pv+
Subscribe digitally to unlock exclusive investigative reporting, expert insights, in-depth analysis, and premium background coverage. Your subscription also includes full access to the digital edition of our magazine.