The Austrian photovoltaic market slowed in 2025, with approximately 1,634 MW of new installed capacity, bringing the country’s total PV capacity to approximately 9.9 GW.
New figures from Austrian energy regulator E-Control show a slowdown in the country’s photovoltaic (PV) market by 2025, with around 1,634 MW of new PV capacity installed.
This represents a decline of 22% compared to 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 was approximately 9.9 GW at the end of December 2025.
PV Austria emphasizes that approximately 2 GW of new PV capacity needs to be added annually before Austria can achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2030.
For 2026, the association expects installations to remain at last year’s levels and below the 2,000 MW limit. Although the current geopolitical context could lead to greater acceptance, domestic political developments temper expectations. The premature abolition of the VAT exemption for small rooftop PV systems by the newly formed government last year has sent a negative signal to both industry and households willing to invest.
“We are once again at a turning point,” says Christoph Mair from installation company MEA Solar 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 abolished, government financing programs have again become more important in stimulating demand for rooftop PV. However, long waiting times remain a challenge: the last program ran in November 2025 and the next is scheduled for April 2026.
“Installation companies want to work consistently,” says Mair, adding that component prices are rising again, putting additional pressure on the sector. Delays in grid expansion are also limiting the deployment of larger PV systems, with some regions currently unable to accommodate new full feed-in installations.
As for government 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 a growing interest in retrofitting storage systems across Austria.
“We need the right framework for storage installations,” 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 effectively support the electricity grid. “Dynamic electricity tariffs or grid tariffs could serve as potential tools to achieve this.”
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