Solar power production capacity rose to 1,000 megawatts
At the end of 2023, Finland's installed solar power production capacity was approximately 1,000 MW, most of which was micro-generation. The total capacity increased by more than 300 MW over the year.
According to the preliminary data of the Energy Authority, at the end of 2023, Finland had approximately 1,000 MW of installed solar power production capacity, 936 MW of which was micro-generation and 50 MW from industrial-scale power plants. Unconnected capacity totalled approximately 23 MW.
At the end of last year, Finland's grid-connected power production capacity was approximately 23,000 MW. Solar power accounted for around 4% of the grid-connected capacity. The production of solar power accounted for approximately 0.8% of the total power production in Finland in 2023.
Micro-generation increased by 47%
The majority of the solar power capacity connected to the electricity grid is micro-generation. Solar power micro-generation refers to power production facilities that produce less than one megawatt (MW) of electricity. Micro-generation capacity increased by 299 MW in 2023, corresponding to an increase of approximately 47%. The Energy Authority estimates that nearly 30,000 single-family houses were fitted with solar power equipment last year. The estimate is based on preliminary data collected from network companies on the number of consumer production network service contracts in the low-voltage network.
The number of industrial-scale (> 1 MW) solar power plants is expected to grow rapidly over the next few years. According to the power plant register maintained by the Energy Authority, the total capacity of solar power plants of more than 1 MW was 50 MW at the end of 2023. The solar power plants greater than 1 MW currently being planned, under construction or in production can be viewed using the map service.
In addition, the total unconnected solar power capacity is estimated to be 23 MW, which has primarily been installed in recreational dwellings.
The Energy Authority collects data from network companies
Every year, the Energy Authority collects data on Finland's grid-connected micro-generation capacity from electricity distribution network companies (the situation at the end of the previous year, production units smaller than 1 MW) as one of the technical indicators of the electricity grid. Estimated solar power capacity unconnected to the grid is based on the data concerning heating energy in single-family houses by Natural Resources Institute Finland and Statistics Finland as well as other micro-generation capacity data. Data concerning larger (> 1 MW) power plants can be examined in the Energy Authority's power plant register.
The 2023 figures for micro-generation capacity are preliminary and subject to change. The distribution network company-specific data on grid-connected micro-generation will be published in the early autumn, once the data provided by the companies has been verified.
Further information
Energy Authority's power plant register (in Finnish)
Distribution company-specific data on grid-connected micro-generation (in Finnish)
Solar power plants map service (in Finnish)
Henri Hämäläinen, Specialist, tel. +358 29 5050 145
Mervi Suni, Senior Officer, tel. +358 29 5050 122
email: [email protected]
