Bulgaria added 1,416 MW of solar last year, according to official data published on the ENTSO-E Transparency Platform. The result marks the third consecutive year Bulgaria has deployed over 1 GW of solar and takes the country’s cumulative capacity to 5,984 MW.
Desislava Mateva, project manager at the Sofia-based Association for Production, Storage and Trading of Electricity (APSTE) told pv magazine that Bulgaria’s solar market is currently dominated by ground-mounted, utility-scale solar plants, reflecting the availability of land, strong developer activity and increasing access to project finance.
Utility-scale solar made up around 90% of Bulgaria’s new capacity last year. Mateva said the market was driven by the strong commercial competitiveness of solar, making projects viable without direct subsidies, as well as active support from local and international banks and a large pipeline of development projects that reached the ready-to-build stage or financial close over the past 18 months.
Mateva also noted that Bulgaria is experiencing a wave of standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) deployments and the hybridization of both existing and new solar assets with BESS, as developers look to deal with price cannibalization and declining solar capture rates.
“These developments are expected to reduce price volatility, improve system flexibility, and mitigate capture-price pressure for solar producers,” she explained. “As a result, industry expectations remain positive.”
Among the largest projects to be commissioned in Bulgaria last year was the first phase of the 315 MW/760 MWh Tenevo hybrid project, with a second phase scheduled for commissioning early this year, and the Selanovtsi hybrid project, a 59.8 MW solar plus 107.3 MWh storage site in the northwestern Vratsa region. Bulgaria also commissioned one of the EU's largest standalone BESS facilities last year, located adjacent to a 107 MW solar park.
Bulgaria’s C&I solar market is showing steady momentum, particularly among projects designed for self-consumption, Mateva added, with rising electricity costs incentivizing businesses to invest in on-site solar, often in combination with storage.
In contrast, Bulgaria’s residential solar sector remains underdeveloped in capacity terms. Mateva said interest among households exists but the market segment has been constrained by regulatory complexity and limited incentives.
She added that the residential sector would benefit from the full liberalization of Bulgaria’s electricity market, as currently household electricity prices remain regulated, accounting for roughly 40% of national electricity demand. “Full liberalization would stimulate demand-side participation and unlock the residential solar and storage market,” she explained.
Looking ahead, Mateva predicted Bulgaria is on course for a record year in solar deployment in 2026. “An estimated 2.5 GW of additional solar projects are either under construction or at an advanced stage of development and expected to start construction soon,” she said. “This pipeline suggests that most of this capacity will be commissioned by the end of 2026.”
Bulgaria’s storage pipeline is looking equally healthy, with 15 GWh expected to be commissioned by half way through the year, supported by the country’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Mateva added that the most significant policy change last year was a sharp increase in eco-taxes and recycling fees for solar panels and batteries. She explained that these fees are currently five to ten times higher than in comparable EU countries, in turn artificially inflating PV and BESS project costs.
“Unless addressed, this issue risks becoming a major bottleneck for new PV and BESS procurement,” Mateva told pv magazine. “Resolving this will require action from the Ministry of Ecology to align recycling fees with real-world costs and EU norms, ensuring that Bulgaria’s strong solar momentum is not undermined by avoidable regulatory distortions.”
Bulgaria opened a new grant program late last year targeting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises looking to deploy PV systems and storage, with a particular focus on those located in the country’s coal regions. The call is set to close next month.
