Poland is not necessarily a country for solar energy. Such can be drawn on the basis of the past summer. We remembered what we have already forgotten for the previous few years, in which the weather on the Baltic Sea was favorable. Stating in good weather is a real sport for Polish tourists who put “our sea” above other places of summer rest. And this year, neither July nor August. Everything can be seen in the results of the energy industry, specifically in the production of electricity by Polish renewable energy.
And so solar panels in Poland in July 2455 GWH of electricity with the current market value of PLN 1.1 billion according to the price of the day of August 25 (on August 26). It is true by 12.5 percent more year on yearbut first of all there was no monthly production record, and secondly After all, the powers of Polish panels increased by 24 percent during the year. (data for June this year)and production by only 12.5 percent
Historical record of the Polish photovoltaics established in June this year. It stays and is still 2577 GWH. Better than in July and August, the results in history were still: in May 2024 (2566 GWH) and in May this year (2487 GWH).
It is difficult to count on improving the record in August, although there are still a few days left, because until August 25 the panels produced only 2062 GWH and if even for the last five days of the month they gave as much electricity as a week – which will be difficult, because the days are getting shorter – it would be 2530 GWH, which is only the third, monthly result in history.
Read also: Is it profitable to put on a photovoltaic? The list of benefits is long, but you have to watch out for traps
Comparing with the previous year, in the same period until the 26th day of the month we have even worse than in July, i.e. growth by only 11.9 percent (in July +12.5 percent yaws) with a 24 % increase in power. Due to the smaller amount of sun, and perhaps also partly due to the gradual degradation of the panels themselves, but their effectiveness has seriously decreased.
It was more blowing than shining
While in May this year. On average, there were 112 MWh of the power per 1 MW of panels, i.e. they worked with 100 % efficiency for 112 hours (less than five days), and in June 114 hours, in July it was only 107 hours, and in August to the 26th day of the month – only 90 hours.
For comparison, in May 2024, photovoltaics worked fully effectively for 143 hours, in June 131 hours, in July 117 hours, and in August to 26. 109 hours.
What's more, last year in July 1 MW of windmills gave an average of 14 percent. less energy than solar, and this year is the opposite – windmills gave 126 MWh per one megawat installed power, So by 16 percent more than solar panels (109 MWh). Summer, which was so far a natural advantage of photovoltaics over windmills in terms of electricity production, this year it turned out to be the domain of windmills. It was more blowing than shining.
He brought one megawat chicken power in July by 25.3 percent more energy (126 MWh) than a year ago in the same month (101 MWh). August (until 26) was no longer so sensational and the increase was only less than 3 percent. Year on year compared to the same period, but the advantage over photovoltaics is still significant and amounted to 12 percent, i.e. one megawat of windmill power it gave by 12 percent. More electricity than one megawat photovoltaics. It is worth emphasizing, because it applies to summer months.
In the winter months, the wind advantage over the sun is several times, and for example in January this year it was 14 times. On average this year, the megawat of wind power gave 94 percent. More energy than a photovoltaic panel.
What is more profitable: a panel or a windmill?
And what does the price difference in the cost of placing panels versus windmills look like? In May, the Energa Group bought a design farm with 112 MW of power for PLN 48 million net from the ONDE group, with it, with the executive contract for this investment for PLN 240 million, i.e. in total the farm will have PLN 288 million, i.e. PLN 2.6 million for a megawat power. Windmills expenditure is much higher.
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In May, the ENEA Group gave 350 million PLN for wind farms with a capacity of 33.2 MW, i.e. PLN 10.5 million for a megawat powerand in April for a farm with a power of 83.2 MW – PLN 740 million, i.e. PLN 8.9 million for megawat. This by 245 percent more than you pay for solar.
Theoretically, the comparison of amounts would show that photovoltaics is much more profitable, because land windmills They give 94 percent during the year More energy for megawat power than panels, but they cost 245 percent. more. However, the matter is still in the fact that windmills give electricity at a completely different moment than photovoltaics.
They reach the production of production in January, when the current is the most expensive, while solar panels give electricity when it is the cheapest, i.e. in the summer. Then, first of all, energy consumption is smaller, and secondly, the largest production of panels is when prices are the lowest, sometimes even negative. This means that the profitability of both types of renewable energy is not so easily comparable.
This can be compared on the basis of polenergy results, because other energy companies hide photovoltaics, connecting it into the renewable energy or new energy segment. And so in the first half of this year with assets of PLN 511 million The gross result of wind farms controlled by Dominika Kulczyk was PLN 4.4 million, Meanwhile, the wind farms gave PLN 169 million of gross profit with the PLN 3.1 billion assets involved in this undertaking. A year ago, i.e. in the first half of 2024, photovoltaics gave polenergia PLN 3.1 million gross of profit with the assets of PLN 412 million, and windmills PLN 254 million of profit at the assets of PLN 3.2 billion. As you can see, the difference in profitability is for now a gap in favor of windmills. At least for a business investor, because prosumers can count differently by receiving subsidies.
In the case of photovoltaics, of course, you can additionally invest in an energy storage to transfer the moment of selling electricity from this around noon, to evening, which can give many times a higher price. However, this requires additional expenditure. You have to pay from 177 to 277 thousand for an energy warehouse with a capacity of 258 kWh. PLN, which returns the expenditure within about three or four years-according to the calculation of the warehouseenergidlafirm page. One megapack with a capacity of 19.6 MWh and 4.9 MW power costs $ 4.7 million in the USA. for a four -hour model, without installation and delivery costs.
Author: Jacek Frączyk, Business Insider Polska editor
