High power prices drive demand for rooftop solar panels

Rising electricity prices are prompting more homeowners to install solar panels, DR reports, with companies saying customers are moving from inquiries to orders.

Electricity prices reached seven kroner per kilowatt-hour during peak-demand hours in late summer, their highest level in two years. Solar company Solplus has seen a sharp increase in interest, its director, Kasper Bruhn, said.

The Danish Solar Cell Association has also confirmed the trend. Demand for rooftop panels rose sharply in 2022, when energy prices increased following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and companies are again seeing consumers seek cheaper electricity.

Falling battery prices have added to the appeal. Batteries can store electricity generated around midday for use during peak periods in the early evening and morning, making solar installations more financially attractive.

Emil Wilken Mikkelsen, who was having panels installed, said the cost was a key reason for his decision. After switching to an electric car, he saw his electricity bill rise. He expects the panels to help halve his electricity costs, including loan repayments for the system.

He said the installation could also support the green transition, but that his main motivation was financial.

Sune Thorsteinsson, a lecturer at DTU Elektro, said rooftop solar can also help the electricity system when the power is used in the building where it is generated, since it does not need to be transported through a grid that has limited capacity for connecting new energy sources.

Thorsteinsson estimates that panels on all private rooftops where installation is suitable could produce around 10 to 15 per cent of the electricity expected to be used in 2030.