So far, solar power is a very small player on the Swedish electricity market. Last year, Swedish solar power produced approximately four TWh, out of a total of 169 TWh, according to official statistics. The commercial larger solar parks accounted for a relatively small part of this, much of it comes from villa owners' roofs, is Madeleine van der Veer's assessment, although there is no exact statistics on the distribution.
But solar power parks are now coming on strong. A total of applications awaiting decisions from the county administrative boards amount to a total electricity production of 20 TWh, according to the Network for Solar Parks.
Almost all applications are located in electricity area 3 and 4, says Madeleine van der Veer.
Lower Price
In electricity area 4 (southern Götaland), almost all potential new electricity production consists of solar power. Lower electricity prices are in the cards, according to van der Veer, who is well aware that this is about the summer half-year.
But many will be rejected, and many will not be connected to the grid by the electricity companies for various reasons, often due to lack of capacity.
The goal, or hope, is to have 18 TWh of solar power in operation by 2030, although it will be difficult, according to Madeleine van der Veer.
When we look at what applications have been submitted and what has been approved, we see that it is fully possible. But it would also require a slightly faster handling by the grid companies, she says.
Cannibalization
Just like wind farm owners, those who want to build solar cell parks are affected by what some call cannibalization. An increasing amount of weather-dependent electricity risks canceling itself out when prices plummet at the same time as the conditions are most favorable.
Investments in new wind power have slowed down, but not to a greater extent among solar park builders, according to van der Veer.
The low electricity prices affect the calculations for solar park establishments as well. But if you look at the whole of 2024 and also the second half of the year, where these price discussions have taken extra speed connected to investments, we don't notice it, she says.
All new weather-dependent electricity production has made electricity prices fluctuate more violently than before, from negative prices when it's windy or during the summer half-year when the sun shines from clear blue skies, to prices of several kronor per kWh when the same electricity production disappears.
In 2024, around 700 hours with negative prices were noted on the Nord Pool electricity exchange, which is approximately eight percent of the year's total hours, and twice as many as in 2023.
Source: Energiföretagen
