Demand for solar systems has increased rapidly across Europe since the beginning of the war in Iran, reports Reuters. This is an attempt to protect against the effects of supply disruptions and increases in oil, gas and electricity prices, which affect both businesses and individuals. People in Europe are looking for alternatives and are increasingly turning to renewable energy sources. Concrete data shows this. Janik Nolden, co-founder of German private solar equipment wholesaler Solarhandel24, told Reuters that net sales in March more than tripled to almost 70 million euros year-on-year.
See also: “There is no going back to what was.” The war in Iran will change the energy sector forever
Crisis on the energy market. Sales of solar systems are growing
According to Reuters, demand for solar systems has doubled since the outbreak of the war in Iran compared to the same period last year. “The war only exposed a problem that has always existed: energy dependence,” said Janik Nolden. He added that his company plans to increase employment by about 85 people, or one third, to meet demand. For the same purpose, in recent weeks it has also invested in approximately half a million solar panels.
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A similar trend was also observed by the German company Enpal. Its orders increased by 30 percent in March. year on year to EUR 130 million, and the trend is expected to continue in April. The increase in demand for solar energy is also increasing interest in energy storage technologies. According to Wijnand van Hooff from the Dutch company Holland Solar, an increase of 40-50 percent can be seen.
“This cannot be explained solely by seasonal factors,” Filip Thon of E.ON, Europe's largest grid operator that also sells rooftop solar systems, told Reuters.
“We see the increase in demand as a structural change that current geopolitical events are accelerating, not creating,” said Ed Janvrin, who heads the solar and heating business at British company OVO Energy, adding that April sales in that division were about 10 times higher than a year earlier.
