Norway

Residential PV systems are supported by the national funding agency Enova. Installing a PV system qualifies for 7 500 NOK + 1 250 NOK per kWp up to 20 kWp. Hence, the maximum support is 32 500 NOK. Self-consumption is exempt from grid tariffs and electricity tax. Surplus electricity can be fed into the grid at electricity retail rates.

Grid customers on the same property can virtually self-consume electricity.

Grid customers on the same property can virtually self-consume electricity as long as the installed capacity generating the electricity is below 1 MWAC.

Grid customers that never feed in more than 100 kW can have a prosumer agreement with the distribution network operator, exempting them from the fixed grid tariff for electricity suppliers.

Ground-mounted PV systems need a licence from the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE). In 2024, 57 PV projects (44 new) were sent to NVE. The total installed capacity of the new projects adds up to 2 048 MWDC. By the end of 2024, 8 ground-mounted PV projects had received a licence, and 1 application was declined. The first two ground-mounted projects, one of 7 MWDC and one of 1.1 MWDC, were officially commissioned in 2024.

Leading national research groups and industrial partners in PV technology have been participating in the FME Research Centre for Sustainable Solar Cell Technology (www.susoltech.no). This centre will have its final year in 2025. In 2024, the Research Council of Norway launched a call for the next generation of FME centres. One of the centres that was awarded funding is FME Solar, which will start operation in 2025. Research activities will focus on solar cell and solar panel technologies, as well as the use of PV systems in northern European climate conditions. The total centre budget is 400 million NOK (34 million EUR) over its duration (2025–2031).

There are six main R&D groups in Norway’s university and research institute sector participating in the Research Centre:

• Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) focuses on the design, production, and characterisation of silicon solar cells and applications of PV systems. IFE also works on environmental and societal challenges regarding solar energy. IFE is the host of FME Solar (mentioned above).
• University of Oslo (UiO): The Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology (SMN) coordinates activities within materials science, micro- and nanotechnology.
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim: Engages in materials science, micro- and nanotechnology relevant for solar cells.
• SINTEF in Trondheim and Oslo focuses on silicon feedstock, refining, crystallisation, sawing, and material characterisation.
• Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) conducts fundamental studies of materials for PV applications and assesses PV performance in high-latitude environments.
• Agder University (UiA) researches silicon feedstock. It also has a Renewable Energy demonstration facility with PV systems, solar heat collectors, heat pumps, heat storage, and hydrogen electrolysis for research on hybrid systems.

In 2024, Norsun, the last of the three companies that had been producing solar-grade silicon, ingots, and wafers in Norway, ceased operations, leaving the upstream PV industry segment in Norway to The Quartz Corp, which produces crucibles.

Additionally, there are new initiatives in both new and existing enterprises for developing innovative services or solutions for the PV market. Examples include BIPV products, roofing products for bifacial modules, and module designs adapted to Northern European conditions, such as Over Easy Solar’s system with vertically mounted bifacial modules.

Glint Solar has developed software designed for fast solar site identification and efficient project visualisation to help develop PV projects in the early phase.

Scatec is a renewable power producer, with a significant portion of its operations dedicated to developing and operating PV power plants. Equinor and Statkraft are also active in these markets.

Norway’s electricity supply is predominantly hydropower (87%) and wind power (11%). PV is still generating less than 0.5% of the electricity in Norway. The Norwegian PV market experienced very strong growth in 2023, doubling the accumulated capacity from 2022 to 2023, but slowed down in 2024. A total of 166 MWDC of PV capacity was installed in 2024, which is approximately half the volume installed in 2023.