Revenues at Risk and Mitigation Strategies for Solar PV Plants in Times of Negative Electricity Prices

The European PV market is entering a new phase as negative electricity prices increasingly overlap with midday solar generation, shifting market risk back to producers. With subsidy-free business models and corporate PPAs expanding while traditional support schemes contract, project revenues and financing conditions are becoming more constrained. Mitigation strategies can help manage these challenges, though their effectiveness varies. Options such as revenue-oriented system design and PV–storage integration can reduce exposure to low or negative prices, but they typically involve cost trade-offs and uncertain returns, often requiring multiple revenue streams to ensure profitability. Beyond enhancing competitiveness, these measures are becoming critical for project feasibility. By supporting financing, securing grid access, and strengthening debt service resilience, they can determine whether PV projects are viable at all. As European electricity markets evolve, the capacity to implement effective mitigation strategies will be central to sustaining the growth and resilience of solar deployment.