Slovakia's PV Market Cools Down, But Avoids "Hard Landing" in 2025

Slovakia's photovoltaic market has cooled down, yet the "hard landing" feared for last year did not materialize. This summarizes the latest data from distribution companies regarding the connection of new energy sources to their grids throughout 2025.

Data provided to Energie-portal.sk by Západoslovenská distribučná (ZSD), Stredoslovenská distribučná (SSD), and Východoslovenská distribučná (VSD) show that the total number of new installations was higher than in 2024. Furthermore, the total newly installed capacity connected to the grid by distributors also saw a year-on-year increase.

However, the growth in overall connection statistics was primarily driven by other energy sources, as solar installations were slightly weaker compared to 2024. Nevertheless, solar panels continue to clearly dominate among newly connected sources.

The figures encompass various segments, each showing different development trends last year. Rooftop PV installations, categorized as "small sources," were bolstered by the Zelená domácnostiam (Green for Households) subsidy program. Although the funding dried up before last summer, subsidized installations on residential rooftops continued to be added throughout the year. Larger commercial rooftop installations have long been driven primarily by "local sources" (on-site generation).

Large-scale projects were also connected. Last autumn, the country's largest photovoltaic power plant saw the launch of a "twin" project—an equally sized solar park commissioned right next to it.

Data Breakdown: ZSD, SSD, and VSD

Traditionally, ZSD reports the highest figures in terms of both connected sources and installed capacity. However, compared to 2024, its numbers are slightly lower.

"In 2025, ZSD connected 7,713 sources—comprising small, local, and commercial units—with a total capacity of nearly 132 MW. In 2024, it was 7,630 sources with a capacity of 147 MW," stated ZSD spokesperson Michaela Dobošová, adding that "more than 99% of these are photovoltaics."

The number of newly connected sources also fell in Central Slovakia, although the new capacity connected to the grid was higher. According to Miroslav Gejdoš, external communication specialist at SSD, the number of connected sources decreased from 4,988 in 2024 to 4,912 last year. However, while new capacity in 2024 was 90.4 MW, SSD connected 126.9 MW last year.

The growth in Central Slovakia, however, was not driven by solar. The number of connected PV sources dropped year-on-year from 4,984 to 4,901, and installed capacity in this segment fell from 88.3 MW to 74.7 MW. Unlike Western or Eastern Slovakia, photovoltaics accounted for less than 60% of newly connected capacity in SSD's territory (74.7 MW out of 126.9 MW).

In contrast, VSD—much like ZSD—recorded almost exclusively solar sources among its new connections last year. "In 2025, VSD connected 3,387 sources with a capacity of nearly 43 MW. In 2024, it was 3,101 sources with a capacity of 46 MW," said VSD spokesperson Andrea Forbergerová.

In aggregate, the distributors connected 16,012 new sources to their grids last year, an increase of 293 year-on-year. The total installed capacity of new sources grew by 18 MW compared to 2024, reaching 302 MW.

Czech Republic Reports Sharper Decline

Several other countries that experienced a solar boom in 2022 and 2023 are now seeing a more significant slowdown. From a pan-European perspective, the pace of new installations decelerated significantly as early as 2024.

The Czech Solar Association (Solární asociace) reported a steeper decline for 2025 than the Slovak distributors. The total number of newly connected PV plants in the Czech Republic fell to 27,298 with an installed capacity of 696 MW. Compared to 2024, this represents a drop of more than 17,000 installations and 271 MW—a nearly one-third decrease in capacity.

As these figures suggest (a massive drop in numbers but a less pronounced decline in capacity), the slowdown primarily affected residential installations.

"This development is due to the repeated suspension of subsidy programs, which also led to the collapse of several installation companies. However, the rest of the solar sector acted as a safety net—companies are completing projects for their defunct competitors and ensuring subsequent maintenance," the association stated.

Source: www.energie-portal.sk