Based on the database of photovoltaic and wind companies "RES Auctions Winners 2016-2020"
In Poland the market of solar farms up to 1 MW is developing rapidly thanks to the polish auction system. Not surprisingly, competition in the "small basket" for wind and photovoltaic projects up to 1 MW was fierce. According to the announcement of Energy Regulatory Office, 590 producers joined the auction with a total of 1618 bids, and all the bids submitted were from photovoltaic only. The auction was resolved in favor of 235 producers, which submitted a total of 747 bids with the lowest price. The minimum energy price was 222.87 PLN/MWh - for comparison, in 2019 the minimum price was 269 PLN/MWh. On the other hand, the maximum price at which energy was auctioned in 2020 was 268.88 PLN/MWh - in 2019 it was 327 PLN/MWh. This shows that the high competition and the decrease in the prices of photovoltaic modules significantly affect the decrease in the auction prices.
Renewable energy auctions are the last call for wind farm projects blocked by polish “10H Act”. So far, the wind energy-dominated "large basket" (for projects above 1 MW) auction in 2020 succumbed to cheap photovoltaic technology. The 2019 auction, in which 3 PV farm projects won in this basket, was only the beginning of the PV "revolution" in this basket. In the 2020 auction, PV projects equalled the number of bids and capacity of wind power plants. In order to win the auction, PV investors went well below the reference price - the reference price for PV was 340 PLN/MWh, while the maximum price at which energy was sold in this auction was almost 100 PLN/MWh lower (249.90 PLN/MWh). The distribution of auction prices for the large basket of winning projects according to Energy Regulatory Office data (prepared by IEO) statistically confirms the thesis that wind and solar projects markets are similar - figure below.
Special purpose companies (SPC) held by holding companies as Windbud, Windpower Poland, Polenergia, QAIR Polska or OX2 won in the auction with wind farm projects, whereas SPC held by Green Genius, Columbus Energy or R.Power won with photovoltaic projects.
Among holding companies with the highest number of winners there are also EDP Renewables Polska and V-Ridium (formerly Geo Renewables), which are operating on both markets and have submitted both wind and photovoltaic projects to the auction.
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