According to a report by the International Energy Organization, Greece is ranked second in the world – after Spain – in terms of electricity generation potential from photovoltaics.

Investments in production units as well as in the transmission and distribution networks lead to an increasing penetration of green energy in the country’s energy mix – for example, in 2022, DEDDIE quadrupled the power of RES activated in the distribution network, compared to 2019.

According to the International Organization’s report, which examines the production potential of existing PV units in terms of total demand (not actual production), PV penetration at the end of 2022 was 17.5% in Greece and 19.1% in Spain. By comparison the EU average was 8.7% and the international average 6.2%,”Nine countries currently have penetration rates above 10%, with Spain, Greece and Chile exceeding 17%, and while grid congestion has become an issue, policy measures, technical solutions and storage already provide workable solutions to boost PV penetration,” the report said.

The increased participation of RES in the energy mix, especially in periods of low demand (e.g. weekends and holidays with favorable weather conditions) leads to a reduction in the production of “green” energy in our country for reasons of system stability. At the same time, during these periods, the lowest – up to zero – electricity prices are formed on the Stock Exchange.

Regarding the networks, competent sources of DEDDIE reported to APE-MPE that in 2022, 4,800 RES units with a power of 1080 megawatts were activated in the distribution network, compared to 688 units with a power of 242 megawatts in 2019 (an increase of 597% in number and 346% in power). Cumulative RES units (mainly photovoltaics) in the distribution network last year reached 6.5 gigawatts from 4 gigawatts in 2019, while based on planned projects for 2023, the capacity will exceed 8.7 gigawatts.

Accordingly, from ADMIE (according to the ten-year development plan 2024-2033), it is pointed out that until December 2022, electricity generation stations from RES and Cogeneration with a total installed capacity of 10256 MW, (4516 MW wind and 5150 MW photovoltaic) were operating in the interconnected system ) while the two Operators (ADMIE and DEDDIE) have been granted Final Connection Offers to RES Stations with a total capacity of over 11.5 GW.

“If the existing RES facilities are calculated cumulatively together with the projects that have secured the right to be connected to the Network and the System through Definitive Connection Offers with DEDDIE and ADMIE respectively, and the RES potential that arises as a possibility on the interconnected islands (Cyclades, Crete, Dodecanese, N. Aegean) the result of about 24 GW of power already exceeds the target recorded in the National Energy and Climate Plan for 2030 (15.1 GW) and achieves the target for RES power of 22-24 GW in electricity generation as expected to be reflected in the upcoming revision of the ESEK”, reports ADMIE.