Solar power generated 12% of Bulgaria's electricity in 2023.
By the end of 2020 about 1 GW of solar PV had been installed. It has been estimated that there is potential for at least another 4 GW by 2030.
By the end of 2024 about 3.9 GW of solar had been installed.
Bulgaria has a high potential for solar irradiation, especially in the southern regions of the nation. Solar plants are rapidly increasing â from a total of 100 MW of solar power installed capacity in 2011, as of 2023, Bulgaria has more than 2,400 MW, of them 600 MW were added in 2022. The capacity is set to reach 3,000 MW. The largest solar parks are Dalgo Pole (207 MW) in Plovdiv Province and Verila (123 MW) in Kyustendil Province. There is a trend of many companies installing solar panels of own to reduce buying electricity from the grid, with a similar trend on the rise for domestic use as well. For the first time in Bulgaria, albeit for a few hours in May 2023, photovoltaics produced more electricity than nuclear power plants and thermal power plants, providing 31% of the electricity production.
Solar power in Bulgaria was expanded by 100 megawatts (MW) in 2011. A 16.2 MW solar power plant in Zdravetz, Bulgaria was expected to be completed in June 2012, with power being sold for $0.30/kWh in a fixed rate 20 year power purchase agreement.
Since then, however, new installations have nearly come to a halt, with only about 12 MW of additional capacity installed during 2013 and 2014.
On March 13, 2023, peak photovoltaics power was 30% of Bulgaria electricity generation. However, long-term share of solar power is much lower. Director of Bulgarian transmission network estimated photovoltaics growth as 30% in 2022, and he expected 700 MW new solar capacity in 2023, which could represent 30-40% YoY growth.
In April 2023 Bulgaria's Inercom signed a contract with Huasun for a supply of 1.5GW solar modules.