{"id":14801,"date":"2026-08-07T16:29:56","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T16:29:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sollab.pl\/?p=14801"},"modified":"2026-08-07T16:29:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T16:29:56","slug":"rcem-2026-photovoltaics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sollab.pl\/en\/rcem-2026-fotowoltaika\/","title":{"rendered":"Record-low RCEm 2026: why is solar power without storage losing money?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Sollab Team<\/strong> \u2014 renewable energy consultants and installers, Pomerania since 2011 \u00b7 Over 1,200 installations in Pomerania \u00b7 Article based on data from PSE and Globenergia.pl \u00b7 June 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Over a three-month period \u2014 from January to April 2026 \u2014 the price at which prosumers sell energy to the grid fell by more than four times, from 551 z\u0142 to 132 z\u0142 per MWh. An all-time low in the history of Polish net-billing.<\/strong> We explain how it works, show you the figures and set out exactly what to do if you have a solar panel system on your roof.<\/p>\n

The history of RCEm 2026 \u2014 what the price trend looks like<\/h2>\n

Back in January, the RCEm stood at almost 552 z\u0142 per MWh \u2014 high winter demand and low PV generation kept prices at a favourable level for prosumers. Then spring arrived.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Month<\/th>\nRCEm<\/th>\nContext<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
January 2026<\/td>\n551.96 PLN\/MWh<\/td>\nWinter, high demand \u2014 highest RCEm since 2023<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
February 2026<\/td>\n339.01 PLN\/MWh<\/td>\nThe first sunny days, the start of a marked drop<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
March 2026<\/td>\n191.95 PLN\/MWh<\/td>\nA sharp rise in PV generation within the system<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
April 2026<\/strong><\/td>\n132.92 z\u0142\/MWh \u2014 A RECORD LOW<\/td>\nAn all-time low in the history of net billing<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 2026<\/td>\n191.37 z\u0142\/MWh<\/td>\nA slight rebound, still below May 2025 levels<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Source: Polish Power Grid (PSE)<\/a>, Globenergia.pl, Fotovolteo.pl<\/p>\n

The mechanism is simple and inexorable: the more PV installations generate at the same time during the sunny midday hours, the more the price of energy on the exchange falls. Prosumers sell the most energy precisely when it is worth the least.<\/p>\n

May Day 2026 \u2014 when the grid literally didn\u2019t know what to do with all the electricity<\/h2>\n

The May bank holidays in 2026 provided a dramatic illustration of this problem. Sunny days on public holidays, maximum PV generation, minimal industrial demand. Energy prices on the Polish Power Exchange (TGE) fell to negative values.<\/p>\n

The record for photovoltaic power output was set on 20 May 2026 at 11.45 \u2014 14.5 GW<\/strong>, covering nearly 75% of domestic demand (PSE data). In 2025, PSE curtailed a total of 1.4 TWh of renewable energy generation, three-quarters of which came from solar power \u2014 and 2026 is steadily exacerbating this trend.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Day<\/th>\nMinimum price<\/th>\nPV curtailment by PSE<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1 May (Friday)<\/td>\n\u20131,457 z\u0142\/MWh (2.15 pm)<\/td>\nMax. 3.5 GW; negative prices from 9.00 to 16.45<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2 May (Saturday)<\/td>\n\u2013991 z\u0142\/MWh<\/td>\nApprox. 1.7 GW; renewable energy sources temporarily met 78% of demand \u2014 a record<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3 May (Sunday)<\/td>\n\u2013509 z\u0142\/MWh<\/td>\nApprox. 2.8 GW of PV curtailment<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Source: PSE, PAP, WNP.pl<\/p>\n

The mathematics of losses \u2014 how much does a low RCEm cost in practice?<\/h2>\n

An 8 kWp system, on a typical spring day. Generation: 38 kWh; self-consumption: 10 kWh; feed-in to the grid: 28 kWh at a feed-in tariff of 0.13 z\u0142\/kWh:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n
Contribution to the prosumer fund (with a multiplier of 1.23)<\/td>\n28 \u00d7 0.13 \u00d7 1.23 = approx. 4.47 z\u0142<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The same electricity purchased from the grid in the evening<\/td>\n28 \u00d7 1.23 z\u0142\/kWh = 34.44 z\u0142<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Actual daily difference<\/strong><\/td>\napprox. 30 z\u0142\/day = approx. 900 z\u0142\/month during the season<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
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Owners of energy storage facilities made record profits in July 2026:<\/strong> Gramwzielone.pl (7 July 2026) reported that energy prices from prosumers during the evening hours reached record highs in July during the heatwave. Owners of storage facilities were able to use or sell in the evening the energy they had collected free of charge at midday. Owners of installations without storage facilities sold the same energy for a few groszy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The trend is one-way \u2014 what\u2019s next for RCE?<\/h2>\n

Poland is adding 3\u20134 GW of new capacity each year. Every new GW exacerbates the spring energy surplus at midday. The more PV there is, the lower the midday prices, and the lower the value of surplus sales. This is a structural trend \u2014 not a seasonal anomaly.<\/p>\n

The question is no longer \u201eis it worth having a warehouse?\u201d, but \u201ewhen to buy one and which one to choose\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Three things you can do right now<\/h2>\n
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1. Check the inverter logs<\/p>\n

In the app (Huawei FusionSolar, SolarEdge, Fronius Solar.web), look for the energy balance. If more than 40% of your generation is feeding into the grid, you have significant scope for improvement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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2. Reschedule the operating times for household appliances and EV chargers to 10:00\u201314:00<\/p>\n

A free, instant increase in self-consumption of 10\u201320%. No costs involved \u2014 just a change to the timer settings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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3. Analyse the cost-effectiveness of energy storage<\/p>\n

With an NFO\u015aiGW grant of up to 16,000 z\u0142 (SME Part II, starting in September 2026) and eligible costs from 1 November 2025 \u2014 the financial case is better than ever. Find out more about the programme on the website National Fund for Environmental Protection<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Summary<\/h2>\n