Denmark reached 3,251 MW of cumulative installed solar capacity at the end of March 2023, spread across 131,979 PV systems, according to new data from the Danish Energy Agency.

PV installations built without any subsidies and for self-consumption account for 1.72 GW of the capacity, while solar arrays under a power purchase agreement contribute 336 MW. Additionally, projects selected in public tenders contribute 248 MW, and PV systems installed under expired incentive schemes represent 938 MW.

The agency reports a newly added PV capacity of 236 MW in the first quarter of this year. In a statement, it said that developers connected more PV power generators to the grid in the first three months of 2023 than in the entire year of 2021. It also said that more than 1 GW of PV systems were installed in Denmark from March 2022 to March 2023.

“This growth comes mainly from unsubsidized large scale plants,” the agency said.

Big corporations increasingly prioritize clean electricity from solar sources, leading to the growing market share of unsubsidized large-scale PV projects. Despite the potentially lower economic profitability compared to wind power, these PV facilities continue to gain traction in the market, driven by the desire for sustainable energy solutions.

According to a recent report from Rystad Energy, Denmark is expected to lead solar development in Scandinavia, reaching 9 GW of PV by 2030. Denmark will also lead the uptake of green hydrogen, accounting for 12% of the European market, said Rystad Energy.