Dutch PV additions hit 4.82 GW in 2023

The Dutch solar market gained 4.82 GW of new PV capacity in 2023, according to the “Nationaal Solar Trendrapport 2023” study, which was recently published by consultancy Dutch New Energy (DNE) Research.

The country reached 24.4 GW  of cumulative installed solar capacity at the end of December 2023.

By comparison, newly deployed PV systems hit 4.8 GW in 2022, 3.7 GW in 2021, 3.9 GW in 2020, 2.57 GW in 2019, 1.69 GW in 2018, and 853 MW in 2017.

Of the new capacity installed last year, around 2.5 GW came in the form of residential installations – up from 2.2 GW a year earlier. The remaining 2.4 GW of capacity came from the commercial and industrial and large-scale market segments.

DNE Research estimates that the Netherlands could reach an installed PV capacity of 59 GW by 2030 and 98 GW by 2035.

According to a recent report by Netbeheer Nederland, the Dutch association of national-regional electricity and gas network operators, the country could reach between 100 GW and 180 GW of total installed solar capacity by 2050.

The “regional scenario” forecasts the largest expansion of PV, up to 180 GW of installed capacity. In its previous version, this scenario predicted just 125 GW. The installed solar capacity would come from 58 GW of utility-scale PV and 125 GW of rooftop systems, with 67 GW on commercial and industrial buildings and 58 GW on residential structures.