From pv magazine Germany
New figures from Austria’s energy regulator, E-Control, show a slowdown in the country’s photovoltaic (PV) market in 2025, with around 1,634 MW of new PV capacity installed.
This represents a 22% decline compared with 2024, according to Vera Immitzer, Managing Director of PV Austria, who presented the data at a press conference on Wednesday.
Austria added 2,084 MW of PV in 2024 and 2,474 MW in 2023, which remains the country’s record year for new installations.
The country’s cumulative PV capacity reached approximately 9.9 GW at the end of December 2025.
PV Austria stresses that around 2 GW of new PV capacity must be added annually for Austria to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2030.
For 2026, the association expects installations to remain at last year’s level, falling short of the 2,000 MW mark. While the current geopolitical context could drive increased uptake, domestic political developments are dampening expectations. The early abolition of the VAT exemption for small rooftop PV systems by the newly formed government last year has sent a negative signal to both the industry and households willing to invest.
“Once again, we are at a turning point,” Christoph Mair of installation company MEA Solar told pv magazine. He criticized the government’s stop-and-go policy and short-term regulatory changes, which are hitting installation companies hard. After the VAT exemption was removed, government funding programs have regained importance in stimulating rooftop PV demand. However, long waiting periods remain a challenge: the last program ran in November 2025, and the next is scheduled for April 2026.
“Installation companies want to work consistently,” Mair said, adding that component prices are rising again, putting additional pressure on the sector. Grid expansion delays also limit the deployment of larger PV systems, with some regions currently unable to accommodate new full-feed-in installations.
Regarding the government’s initiatives to support battery storage, only announcements have been made so far. Immitzer and Mair emphasized the need to launch the initiative urgently, as PV and battery storage must be considered together. There is also growing interest in retrofitting storage systems across Austria.
“We need the right framework for storage installation,” Mair said, calling for simplified permitting processes, standardized regulations, and proportionate fire safety measures to keep installations affordable. Thousands of storage systems are already operational in Austria, but incentives are needed to ensure they support the grid effectively. “Dynamic electricity tariffs or grid fees could serve as potential tools to achieve this.”
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