Solar power in Austria
| Solar power in Austria | |
|---|---|
Solar irradiation map of Austria | |
| Installed capacity | 8.48 GW (2024) (22nd) |
| Annual generation | 8.82 TWh (2024) |
| Capacity per capita | 946 W (2024) |
| Share of electricity | 11.2% (2024) |
Solar power in Austria contributes 8.82 TWh of generation to the Austrian grid, accounting for 11.2% of total electric power generation as of 2024, with 8.48 GW of installed capacity.
In addition to supporting PV installations through permitting simplification and cash grants, the Austrian government is targeting 100% renewable electricity generation by 2030.
In 2009, the site of Zwentendorf power station became Austria's largest solar power station with an investment of 1.2 million Euro, with the addition of 1,000 photovoltaic panels. Zwentendorf was intended to be Austria's first nuclear power plant, but after a vote in 1978 prohibiting nuclear power in Austria, was never completed. In September, 2011, Austria's largest solar power station, 2 MW, was under construction in the Niedere Tauern mountain range.
Austria has also a large capacity of solar heating at its disposal. With more than 3,500 MWthermal the country ranks second in the EU, only behind much larger Germany.