Based on interview with Mr. Grzegorz Wiśniewski, CEO of Institute of Renewable Energy:

It seems that there is a chance that in the years 2022-23 the photovoltaics in Poland may start operating without subsidies. What to be concerned about are the effects of the subsidy vacuum, as clients/consumers will have to get used to not being able to invest without this kind of subsidy support.

Until now, the mechanism by which prosumers operate works in such a way that they basically treat power grids as a free energy store. This kills the possibility of organizing and marketable energy storage: if there is no need for energy storage, then of course we cannot develop energy storage markets. This provision also makes it difficult to market solar/PV. We are in for a discussion on how to change this mechanism ... If it were well planned and at the same time we were observing market signals regarding energy prices, perhaps in 2022-23 prosumers could enter the market.

Polish producers of photovoltaic panels want to significantly increase production in Poland. Is it economically justified, however, since there is an influx of cheaper panels from China?

It is worth considering what causes the low price of Chinese products. Well, largely because the Chinese have switched to large-scale production over the past decade. Ten years ago, Chinese factories had a production capacity of 50-100 MW per year - now it is 2-3 thousand. MW, European factories, including Polish ones, remained at the level of 50 or 100 MW. If we want to compete, we have to scale up the production and then we can reduce prices by 20%. Taking into account COVID-19 and breake of supply chains it will go faster than expected.

Recalls that the European Union tried to protect the market of European producers of photovoltaic devices by introducing anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties, when a decade ago China strongly supported its own companies - both manufacturing companies and its own internal market. Unfortunately, the EU and the US have withdrawn from these duties.

Although the production of solar cells and cell-based modules in Europe has decreased, European research laboratories are working very well and new technologies are emerging.

Chinese and Asian companies have invested in gigafactory based on old technologies, and we can gain in efficiency and effectiveness, but also in the fact that our products will have a low carbon footprint. Support for European added value will improve competitiveness. All these elements mean that we can talk about the return of photovoltaic production to Europe. Taking into account COVID-19 and break of supply chains it will go faster than expected. Poland is 4-5. the market in Europe in terms of the amount of new capacity; the investments reach PLN 4-5 billion (€ 1 million) annually, and there will be even more.