Survey on residential rooftop solar power systems in Hungary

Abstract

Hungary has seen rapid growth in residential rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems, with installations reaching 2.65 GW– over 35% of the country’s total PV capacity in 2023. However,detailed data on system characteristics and prosumer behaviour remain unknown. This study presents preliminary results from a 2025 survey assessing residential PV sizing, orientation, and electricity consumption. Results indicate that most PV systems were sized for an annual net-zero energy balance under the net billing scheme, with a median generation-to-demand ratio (GTDR) of 1.06. About 40% of systems have multiple orientations, with a shift toward west-facing panels to enhance self-consumption. PV owners consume nearly three times the national household average, with high adoption of heat pumps (83%) and electric vehicles (25%). These findings support policy recommendations for the transition from net billing to net metering and provide data for grid integration planning and national-scale PV modelling.