Recently, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan announced that Armenia has reached its strategic goal of total installed solar power capacity four years ahead of schedule. The country now produces over 1,000 MW from solar plants and installations, he said. For Armenia, where energy independence is of strategic importance, the development of solar power is not only a step toward a “green future,” but also a guarantee of energy security and self-sufficiency.
Growth of solar energy and current figures
According to Hayk Shekyan, director of “Shtigen” company, solar energy in Armenia is developing noticeably faster than in neighboring countries.
“We have already surpassed Georgia, Iran, and Azerbaijan. Turkey is implementing large-scale programs, but if we calculate per capita capacity, Armenia is not lagging behind at all,” he said. However, exact statistics are not available.
“Solar energy has its own statistical challenge — locally consumed electricity cannot be fully measured. Out of roughly 45,000 installed systems, most are rooftop units, and their on-site consumption can’t be precisely tracked. We rely on averaged estimates: around 1,000 MW in total, of which 400 MW are industrial stations and around 500 MW are autonomous producers operating in net-exchange mode — sending energy to the grid during the day and using it later or in another season,” Shekyan explained.
Expert assessment and systemic risks
Energy expert Vahe Davtyan notes that while the government’s figures look impressive at first glance, a deeper look reveals the absence of systemic planning.
“The minister himself admitted that with such capacity levels, complications are already emerging regarding system stability. That’s why the government is considering a new subsidy program — only for solar plants equipped with energy storage systems. This effectively means the state has acknowledged that the unrestrained growth of the solar sector has become a systemic risk,” he said.
Today, the total capacity of solar power in Armenia already exceeds that of the nuclear plant, but when comparing different types of generation, one must consider the security factor, the expert added.
“In terms of energy quality and system stability, no solar or photovoltaic plant can compete with a nuclear station. This is due not only to technology, but also to the fact that peaceful nuclear energy is rapidly developing in the region — in Turkey, Iran, and even Azerbaijan, which recently resumed talks with international partners on building its first nuclear power plant.
In this context, it is crucial for Armenia to preserve its nuclear capacities as a strategic resource that ensures not only energy independence but also strengthens the country’s regional strategic standing,” Davtyan said.
Solar and nuclear energy: competition and prospects
Shekyan disagrees. According to him, solar energy is no longer inferior to traditional sources.
“In fact, the question of competitiveness is no longer relevant. Nearly all reputable international organizations recognize that solar energy has become a fully competitive source compared to traditional — thermal or nuclear — generation,” he said.
At the same time, he emphasized that he is not against nuclear energy, including in Armenia’s case.
“I am not against the existence or development of nuclear energy,” Shekyan noted. “However, solar power has already proven its efficiency and continues to reduce its cost, while nuclear energy, despite technological progress and improved safety, remains expensive, especially considering long-term costs.”
Continuing, Shekyan pointed out that for sustainable energy development it is important to balance solar production with consumption. In this regard, wind power can play a key role, and its importance is growing.
“Unlike solar, wind power can generate energy at night and in winter,” he explained. “If we manage to combine solar and wind sources effectively, the country will become much more self-sufficient. Today, we have many solar stations, but there’s still imbalance — surplus energy during the day and deficit at night or in winter, forcing us to rely on more expensive resources.”