Austria Solar Auction Awards 173.4 MW at €0.0642/kWh Average

The first 2026 auction closed on March 17 and awarded 170.97 MW against 175 MW offered, with bids from €0.0400/kWh to €0.0680/kWh and a volume-weighted average of €0.0634/kWh. The second closed on June 11, offered 179 MW and awarded contracts on July 10, with a highest successful bid of €0.0669/kWh. The third round's highest successful bid of €0.0725/kWh is therefore above the second round's, and its €0.0642/kWh average is above the first round's €0.0634/kWh. pv magazine described the third-round average as slightly higher than in the second round, without giving the second-round average.

For developers and for ratepayers who fund the premiums, the signal is small but directional: the price needed to win has not fallen over the year, and the top of the accepted range has moved up. The sources give no cause for the higher top bid, so the reason is unconfirmed.

Austria sets solar support through a state tender, while US buyers see a private-market price signal. As Voltgrid reported, LevelTen put its Q3 US solar power purchase agreement price at $64.23/MWh. The two figures measure different things, a support level in a tender and a contract price between private parties, and they use different currencies, so they are not directly comparable.

What Is Still Unconfirmed on the Next Round

The government initially allocated 175 MW to each of the year's four planned solar market-premium auctions, though capacity in individual rounds can change. pv magazine said no further auction dates have been announced, so the timing and volume of the next round are open. Unsuccessful bidders can resubmit in future rounds. Voltgrid has not seen the agency's own tender report, so the figures above rest on pv magazine's account.