Renewable Energy Project Certificates (EPCs) in Romania's renewables sector are preparing for the allocation of grid capacity in 2026, according to experts' predictions.
Unleashing the Future of Solar Power in Romania: Prepping for Grid Changes in 2026
Brace yourselves, folks, because Romania's solar energy market is about to experience a seismic shift in 2026. The renewable energy sector, largely focusing on photovoltaic (PV) projects, is gearing up to face new risks and grid capacity allocation changes, as the country races towards a greener future.
Recent discussions, orchestrated by the Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Association, gathered representatives from prominent state companies like Transelectrica, smaller EPC contractors, investors, and financiers. The heart of the matter? Describing the latest trends in Romania's PV market and discussing the upcoming challenges in store.
Transelectrica, the state-owned grid operator, shed some light on the current solar landscape in the country. At the moment, Romania boasts an impressive 2,400 MW in rooftop solar panel capacity and over 400 MW in unlicensed PV power plants. Solar energy presently accounts for 5-6% of Romania's total energy consumption, but projections indicate that this figure will soar to 10% in the coming years.
"We don't foresee additional taxes for grid usage, like in France, but we will include a capacity allocation for connecting to the grid, dependent on the area," noted a Transelectrica representative during a panel discussion. News of these allocations first came to light in the summer of 2024 following Transelectrica's struggles to integrate more and more prosumers into the grid.
These changes and forthcoming challenges were analyzed at the EPC Masterclass: Business Growth & Innovation in Renewable Energy Projects, a workshop tailored to the EPC sector and held as part of Green Energy Expo & Romenviotec (April 9-11) at Romexpo, Bucharest.
From the financier side, Cătălin Cepișcă, Senior Director at Raiffeisen Bank, highlighted two trends emerging on the solar energy market in Romania. The first approach involves EPC contractors developing turnkey projects for investors, which, Cepișcă revealed, banks favor as they closely resemble standard financing agreements seen across the globe.
The second trend sees large energy producers in Romania and abroad splitting procurement and construction responsibilities. In these cases, EPCs must demonstrate expertise in overseeing design and execution, countering risks associated with delayed or incomplete projects. Pre-emptive contact with banks is also crucial, as they have equipped themselves with in-house expertise capable of becoming involved in the design phase as well.
Meanwhile, Kamen Nedyalkov, a representative of EPC SolarPRO, stressed the significance of commissioning photovoltaic plants' substantial documentation. "What I see is that Transelectrica is making every effort. The market is exploding, and registering these plants and energizing them will require a great deal of documentation. If you don't have enough internal resources to handle this documentation, it could lead to delays. This is an area that needs improvement—not just in Romania, but everywhere," Nedyalkov contended.
With renewable energy accounting for 47.4% of electricity use in 2023, according to Eurostat, the renewable sector in Romania is a veritable powerhouse.ROMANIA's renewables sector, comprising 11.721 GW or 63% of the country's total installed capacity of 18.6 GW in 2024, demonstrates the nation's commitment to a sustainable, green future. While hydropower reigns supreme, solar energy has emerged as the fastest-growing source, thanks to the prosumers, who reached a notable 2.4 GW of installed capacity. Solar energy is destined to eclipse all other energy sources, projected to reach 8.2 GW by 2030 and an incredible 33.3 GW by 2050, as per the SeeNext "Energy in Southeast Europe" 2025 report.
Despite immense growth and potential in the renewables sector, the lack of battery storage facilities causes grid congestion. To this end, Transelectrica has earmarked an impressive RON 9.5 billion (about EUR 2 billion) for grid modernization and expansion.
(Photo source: Romania Insider)
- In the Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Association's discussions, there was a focus on the latest trends in the country's photovoltaic (PV) market and the upcoming challenges related to the grid capacity allocations for connecting to the grid.
- Transelectrica, the state-owned grid operator, revealed that they will include a capacity allocation for connecting to the grid, dependent on the area, in response to the increasing number of prosumers integrating into the grid.
- Cătălin Cepișcă, Senior Director at Raiffeisen Bank, pointed out two emerging trends in the solar energy market in Romania. These include EPC contractors developing turnkey projects for investors and large energy producers splitting procurement and construction responsibilities.
- Kamen Nedyalkov, a representative of EPC SolarPRO, emphasized the need for substantial documentation of photovoltaic plants, as the growing solar market will require a significant amount of documentation for registering and energizing plants, and insufficient internal resources might lead to delays.
