Germans are installing solar panels en masse – energy savings ahead. Efficiency up to 90%.

Germans are installing solar panels en masse – energy savings ahead. Efficiency up to 90%.

Germans are abandoning traditional solar panels en masse in favor of a new technology. This technology recently captured the Polish market.

The publication wiadomosci.radiozet writes that, according to the latest data from the Energy Regulatory Office, photovoltaics clearly dominates among the smallest renewable energy installations, accounting for 99.9% of such installations in Poland.

Thus, in 2011, Poles installed solar collectors en masse. Sales in Poland increased by more than 70%. By the end of 2011, a total of 909,000 square meters of solar collectors were installed and in operation in the country, corresponding to a thermal capacity of 637 MW. With these figures, solar panels became the second-largest renewable energy technology, thanks in part to subsidies.

At the same time, approximately 22 million square meters of solar collectors have been installed in Germany, while in Poland only 3.5 million square meters were operational at the end of 2023.

According to onet.pl, the concept of solar homes, in which at least 65% of the heating needs are covered by solar energy, is gaining momentum there. Solar collectors fit perfectly into this concept due to their high efficiency, which is around 80–90%, compared to only around 20% for photovoltaic systems. Furthermore, German support programs and subsidies of up to 70% of the cost are fueling interest.

However, experts emphasize that the use of collectors is now significantly more limited than before. They are best suited for areas where there is a high demand for hot water throughout most of the year, such as apartment buildings, boarding houses, or sports facilities.