Blessed with more sunny days than all the other years together, it is inevitable that 2020 will be a productive year for the Belgian solar power industry. Finally, Belgium’s power output reached 1.1 gigawatts for the first time during the CO19 outbreak in 2013, coincidentally also with the year of the first days of solar radiation expansion.

As per the solar national association of Belgium, the country’s cumulative solar installation capacity now exceeds 6 GW. In 2020, the bulk of solar energy will be deployed in Flanders (80%), and 15% in Wallonia, while the rest is for the capital city of Brussels.

In Flanders, generation functionality was mainly powered by the residential sector, which increased by 45 percent year on year. One of the primary factors for the increase in implementation is a favorable regulatory environment that provides a grace period of 15 years for small device owners before the latest electronic metering requirements take effect.

In Wallonia, on the other hand, a substantial decline in commercial and utility-scale sectors resulted in a decrease in generation capacity when compared to the prior year.

With that, the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) in Belgium currently mandates that the country achieve approximately 8 GW of solar power by 2030. However, in light of recent market strength, solar ambitions could potentially be increased. Due to the fact that the solar PV goal will be met well before the decade’s end, rather than stagnate, Belgium already has the potential to spread its position as a global GW sector.

European Photovoltaics Business Development’s evaluation of the NECP of the country details many procedural improvements that could facilitate progress. If administrative procedures and the current heterogeneity of the regulatory system for auctions are strengthened, the Belgium solar sector will continue to thrive and contribute to the country meeting its overall energy and environment goals.