Solar power in South Korea

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Solar power in South Korea has developed from small-scale research programs of the 1970s into a key component of the nation’s renewable energy strategy. South Korea has expanded solar photovoltaics generation with tools and initiatives such as legal frameworks, feed-in tariffs, national basic energy plans, and municipal programs. Installed photovoltaic capacity grew rapidly in the 2000s and 2010s, but despite years of progress, the nation’s solar sector faces challenges such as pollution, atmospheric conditions, cost factors, technical limitations, and geographic availability.

Solar power systems and their development in South Korea began in the 1970s,[1] when the government initiated long-term strategies to diversify energy in response to over dependence on imported fossil fuels and the global oil crises of 1973 and 1979.[1] Early national programs focused on small-scale solar research and developing legal and institutional frameworks to support new renewable energy technologies.[1]

From the 1980s to the 1990s, the South Korea government expanded investment in renewable energy research and development through the Promotion Act on Alternative Energy Development of 1987. This established the country’s first formal legal framework to develop renewable technologies.[1][2] The act was amended in 1997 to introduce tax benefits and financial incentives with other measures to promote the use and supply of new renewable energy sources[1][2]

In the 2000s and 2010s, the rate of Photovoltaics (PV) installation increased significantly,[2][3] driven by national policy tools such as the feed-in tariff scheme for renewable electricity (in place from 2002 to 2011), mandatory new and renewable energy installation requirements for public buildings, and a series of Basic Plans for New and Renewable Energy Technology Development and Dissemination. These plans, including the 1st Basic Plan (in place from 1997–2006), 2nd Basic Plan (in place from 2003–2012), and 3rd Basic Plan (2009–2030), set long-term targets for NRE deployment and provided strategic support for the expansion of South Korea’s solar PV industry.[1][2][3]

Installed solar power capacity and generation[4]
Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Capacity (MW) 5.9 8.5 13.5 35.8 81.1 356.8 523.6 650.3 729.1 1,024 1,555 2,481 3,615 4,502 5,835 8,099 11,767
Generation (GW·h) 7.7 9.8 14.3 31.0 71.2 284.3 566.1 772.8 917.1 1,103 1,605 2,556 3,979 5,122 7,056 9,208 12,996

Solar resources

A 2017 study on feasibility of solar energy in South Korea collected the clearness index - the proportion of extraterrestrial solar radiation that makes it through to the surface - for various stations in South Korea.[5]

Station Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. Average
Daegwallyeong 0.59 0.52 0.58 0.47 0.53 0.41 0.39 0.41 0.45 0.54 0.45 0.55 0.49
Chuncheon 0.51 0.50 0.55 0.45 0.51 0.48 0.36 0.42 0.46 0.52 0.41 0.47 0.47
Bukgangneung 0.55 0.47 0.53 0.46 0.49 0.39 0.39 0.40 0.44 0.53 0.44 0.55 0.47
Gangneung 0.50 0.44 0.52 0.48 0.52 0.41 0.40 0.42 0.45 0.54 0.43 0.52 0.47
Seoul 0.49 0.45 0.51 0.44 0.47 0.40 0.28 0.35 0.44 0.51 0.40 0.46 0.43
Incheon 0.50 0.46 0.52 0.45 0.49 0.44 0.34 0.40 0.44 0.49 0.41 0.46 0.45
Wonju 0.52 0.48 0.54 0.45 0.52 0.47 0.37 0.42 0.49 0.56 0.42 0.48 0.48
Suwon 0.51 0.48 0.53 0.45 0.50 0.45 0.34 0.39 0.41 0.49 0.40 0.46 0.45
Seosan 0.48 0.45 0.52 0.45 0.50 0.43 0.34 0.38 0.44 0.47 0.37 0.41 0.44
Cheongju 0.48 0.43 0.52 0.45 0.51 0.44 0.36 0.42 0.46 0.52 0.38 0.44 0.45
Daejeon 0.55 0.50 0.59 0.50 0.58 0.48 0.41 0.46 0.52 0.61 0.45 0.49 0.51
Chupungnyeong 0.54 0.47 0.55 0.46 0.53 0.44 0.39 0.40 0.47 0.52 0.42 0.48 0.47
Andong 0.55 0.48 0.56 0.47 0.55 0.46 0.43 0.44 0.47 0.55 0.44 0.50 0.49
Pohang 0.50 0.43 0.53 0.48 0.50 0.40 0.42 0.38 0.43 0.52 0.45 0.50 0.46
Daegu 0.58 0.49 0.58 0.50 0.55 0.36 0.43 0.42 0.47 0.55 0.46 0.51 0.49
Jeonju 0.48 0.43 0.52 0.46 0.51 0.42 0.38 0.41 0.47 0.55 0.40 0.43 0.46
Gwangju 0.50 0.43 0.53 0.48 0.52 0.40 0.38 0.41 0.49 0.57 0.43 0.43 0.47
Busan 0.58 0.45 0.54 0.49 0.51 0.39 0.44 0.43 0.47 0.55 0.49 0.55 0.49
Mokpo 0.46 0.41 0.51 0.47 0.51 0.40 0.38 0.40 0.47 0.52 0.39 0.39 0.44
Heuksando 0.41 0.42 0.56 0.52 0.55 0.45 0.39 0.45 0.52 0.58 0.41 0.37 0.47
Gochang 0.49 0.44 0.54 0.47 0.54 0.45 0.41 0.43 0.49 0.57 0.41 0.45 0.47
Jeju 0.33 0.33 0.49 0.49 0.53 0.39 0.47 0.45 0.49 0.53 0.36 0.29 0.43
Gosan 0.36 0.39 0.53 0.51 0.54 0.39 0.46 0.47 0.51 0.55 0.38 0.32 0.45
Jinju 0.60 0.49 0.57 0.50 0.53 0.41 0.41 0.42 0.48 0.57 0.48 0.56 0.50

Challenges

Government plans

References

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