The speed of solar installations delayed last year in the Belgian region of Wallonia, because the government stimuli for residential solar energy came to an end. The renewable energy federation Edora, based in Brussels, says that the implementation in all market segments must accelerate if the region will achieve its 2030 solar goals.
The Belgian region of Wallonia added only 92 MW of solar energy in 2024, according to figures made available by Non-Profit Organization Energie Commune.
The result follows a record year for solar installations in the region in 2023. Marion Bouchat, photovoltaic consultant at Renewable Energy Federation Edora, said PV -Magazine That while the residential segment, which almost three -quarters of Wallonia’s solar capacity was good at the end of 2023, performed the best historical, which is no longer the case.
“This segment is expected to have decreased by 80% to 90% compared to 2023, after the end of the net measurement,” said Bouchat, adding that there are no more government stimuli for residential installations less than 10 kW. Although a support schedule for installations above 10 kW remains, Bouchat said it appears to be insufficient.
Bouchat added that large-scale solar energy is confronted with consent issues, but also said that there is “a great potential to work with agricultural activity in synergy”, with only one project about agricultural land so far.
Every year, Wallonia has set an objective of 5,100 GWh of energy through Solar by 2030. A statement that Edora has released to coincide with the publication of last year’s implementation figures says that installations in all market segments should increase to achieve this goal.
Edora’s statement called for a simplified permit policy, a more incentive-based investment framework and strengthening the electricity grid, as well as the acceleration of storage, in combination with dynamic prices.
Bouchat told PV -Magazine Edora also asks the government to create a development framework for solar energy mounted on the ground in collaboration with the sector. “The PV soil projects are crucial to achieve the regional goals,” Bouchat added. “The ambitious target of 5,100 GWh per year is only feasible with a dedicated policy and with the use of land projects, because it requires an annual installed capacity over around 575 MW from now until 2030.”
Other legal changes that the Walloon market can support include a plan for solar installations on old and new buildings, said Bouchat, as well as the facilitation of energy communities, which currently have no financial stimuli, such as a grid allowance reduction.
Bouchat added that a flexibility market for the congestic issues solution, related to the imbalance market at national level, could act as a market driver in the future, but said it is currently “not on the table of our government”.
Edora currently predicts that around 200 MW Zonne -Zon in Wallonia could be used in both 2025 and 2026 if there is constant policy support, increased to around 350 MW this year and up to 520 MW in 2026 “if the government undertook more dedicated actions,” Bouchat added.
In February PV -Magazine reported the Belgian region of Flanders that were at least added 646 MW From solar energy in 2024, because it celebrated its a millionth solar panel installation.
The figures of Energie Commune, from BelgiumThe three regulators of the electricity market show that the country added 970 MW of solar energy in its regions in 2024, compared to more than 2.4 GW in 2023. It attributes the decline to a strong momentum in 2023. That was linked to stimulas that have now been removed in Flanders and Wallonia.
Last year’s result means that the cumulative solar capacity of Belgium is around 12 GW, which is equal to 13% of the country’s electricity consumption last year. Each of the three macro regions of Belgium has its own individual regulatory framework for solar and renewable energy.
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