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Solar power in Bulgaria

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Solar power in Bulgaria
Solar irradiation map of Bulgaria
Installed capacity3.9 GW (2024) (33)
Annual generation5.3 TWh (2024)
Capacity per capita576 W (2024)
Share of electricity14% (2024)

Solar power generated 12% of Bulgaria's electricity in 2023.[1]

By the end of 2020 about 1 GW of solar PV had been installed.[2] It has been estimated that there is potential for at least another 4 GW by 2030.[3]

By the end of 2024 about 3.9 GW of solar had been installed.[4]

Bulgaria has a high potential for solar irradiation, especially in the southern regions of the nation.[5] Solar plants are rapidly increasing — from a total of 100 MW of solar power installed capacity in 2011,[5] as of 2023, Bulgaria has more than 2,400 MW, of them 600 MW were added in 2022.[6][7] The capacity is set to reach 3,000 MW.[7] The largest solar parks are Dalgo Pole (207 MW) in Plovdiv Province and Verila (123 MW) in Kyustendil Province.[7] There is a trend of many companies installing solar panels of own to reduce buying electricity from the grid, with a similar trend on the rise for domestic use as well.[6] For the first time in Bulgaria, albeit for a few hours in May 2023, photovoltaics produced more electricity than nuclear power plants and thermal power plants, providing 31% of the electricity production.[6]

History

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Solar installation, Aytos

Solar power in Bulgaria was expanded by 100 megawatts (MW) in 2011. A 16.2 MW solar power plant in Zdravetz, Bulgaria was expected to be completed in June 2012, with power being sold for $0.30/kWh in a fixed rate 20 year power purchase agreement.[8]

Since then, however, new installations have nearly come to a halt, with only about 12 MW of additional capacity installed during 2013 and 2014.

Year Photovoltaics
MWp GWh
20081.4
20095.73.3
20103515
2011141120
20121,010n.a.
20131,0201,349
20141,0221,245
2015[9]1,0411,391
2016[10]1,0301,392
2017[11]1,0311,408
2018[12]1,0331,381
2019[13]1,0441,252
2020[14]1,1001,478
2021[15]1,2751,488
2022[16]1,737
2023[17]2,927
2024[18]4,560
2025[19]5,910
Source: IEA-PVPS/EPIA for capacity,[20] Photovoltaic Barometerfor generation,[21] previous[22][23][24][25]

On March 13, 2023, peak photovoltaics power was 30% of Bulgaria electricity generation.[26] However, long-term share of solar power is much lower. Director of Bulgarian transmission network estimated photovoltaics growth as 30% in 2022, and he expected 700 MW[27] new solar capacity in 2023, which could represent 30-40% YoY growth.

In April 2023 Bulgaria's Inercom signed a contract with Huasun for a supply[28] of 1.5GW solar modules.

Current and upcoming projects

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PV power station Location Capacity in

MWp

 Commissioning Notes/ref
Karadzhalovo Solar Park Karadzhalovo 60 2012
Pobeda Solar Park Pleven Province 51 2012
Verila Solar 1 Dupnitsa Municipality 124 2023
Bobov Dol Solar Park Golemo Selo 100 2024
Kyustendil Kyustendil More than 100 Concept stage
Ogosta floating solar park Ogosta Reservoir 500 to 800 Concept stage
Verila Solar 2 Dupnitsa Municipality 50 2023
Chirpan solar power plant Chirpan 160 2024
Dalgo Pole PV park (Phase 1,2,3) Kaloyanovo Municipality 208 2023
Knizhovnik Solar PV Park Haskovo Province 400 Concept stage
Tenevo solar power plant Yambol Province 238 2025
Apriltsi Photovoltaic Park Pazardzhik Province 300 2023
Galabovo Solar PV Park Galabovo 150 2023
Terasol Solar Park Stara Zagora Province 116 2023
Ravnets PV Solar + Hydrogen Park Ravnets Air Base 120 Concept stage
"Golf" PV Park Sliven Municipality 40 2023
Winslow PV Park Malko Tarnovo 36 2023
Gabare PV Park Byala Slatina Municipality 450 Concept stage
Aratiden PV Park Kyustendil 100 2024
Saint George solar park Silistra Province 229 2024
Hadjidimitrovo-Kronos Kazanlak 80 2024
Belozem Solar Park 2 Stara Zagora Province 100 2024
Tsenovo Solar Tsenovo, Ruse Province 80 2025

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "Срив при тока от въглища и рекорд за ВЕИ през юни в България". Archived from the original on 2023-07-04. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  2. ↑ "Bulgaria to install 2.5 GW of solar, wind by 2024". Balkan Green Energy News. 2021-03-09. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  3. ↑ "Bulgaria May Add 4.9 GW of Renewable Energy by 2031". www.saurenergy.com. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  4. ↑ Todorović, Igor (2025-04-02). "Greek companies expand to Bulgaria with solar power investments". Balkan Green Energy News. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  5. 1 2 Bakhtiari, Afshin (18 January 2022). "Bulgarian Solar Energy Market". Aesolar. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 "Solar Parks Provide More Than 31% of Electricity Production in Bulgaria". State Official Site of the Bulgarian National Radio. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 "Bulgaria Enjoys Solar Boom as Biggest Photovoltaic Parks Come Online". Balkan Green Energy News. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  8. ↑ "Premier Power's New Project Will Nearly Double Bulgaria's Solar Capacity". energyboom.com. Retrieved 22 April 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. ↑ "ESO.BG - Електроенергиен Системен Оператор".
  10. ↑
  11. ↑
  12. ↑
  13. ↑
  14. ↑
  15. ↑
  16. ↑
  17. ↑
  18. ↑
  19. ↑
  20. ↑ "Snapshot of Global PV 1992-2014" (PDF). iea-pvps.org/index.php?id=32. International Energy Agency — Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme. 30 March 2015. Archived from the original on 7 April 2015.
  21. ↑ "Photovoltaic Barometer - installations 2013 and 2014" (PDF). energies-renouvelables.org. April 2015.
  22. ↑ "Photovoltaic barometer" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-06-12.
  23. ↑ Photovoltaic Barometer 2010
  24. ↑ Photovoltaic Barometer 2011
  25. ↑ Photovoltaic Barometer 2012
  26. ↑
  27. ↑
  28. ↑
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