Development of solar energy in Poland in the context of European countries

Purpose: The aim of the article is to analyse the development of solar energy in Poland against the background of other European countries. Design/methodology/approach: The research was conducted on data for 22 countries between 2012 and 2020 using dynamic analysis and multivariate analysis in the form of cluster analysis. Findings: Between 2012 and 2020, intensive development of solar energy sources was observed in the 22 countries studied. Although Poland invests very intensively - compared to other countries - in solar technologies (especially in photovoltaics), it does not yet belong to the cluster of high-performing countries in this respect. Originality/value: The article's value is to view the development of solar thermal systems in Poland and Europe from the perspective of a multidimensional analysis, which we conducted in two separate time units. This allowed us to draw conclusions about the development of solar systems in Poland also with regard to time.