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Solar power in Cyprus - Wikipedia Jump to content

Solar power in Cyprus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Solar potential of Cyprus

Solar power in Cyprus benefits from over 3,300 hours of sunlight annually, giving it the highest potential in the European Union (EU).

The 2023 IRENA Energy Profile for Cyprus highlights the increasing significance of solar energy in the country's renewable energy mix. In 2021, solar power generation amounted to 468 GWh, representing 9% of the total energy generated that year. Given that renewables constituted 15% of the total energy generated in 2021, equivalent to 775 GWh, solar energy's contribution is noteworthy within the renewable energy sector.[1]

In Cyprus, photovoltaic (PV) technology plays a significant role in the country's renewable energy initiatives. Through programs like net metering, self-consumption schemes, and net billing for industry, the country has facilitated the installation of over 17,000 PV systems, contributing to a total production exceeding 65 MW, as reported by the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce.[2]

Solar targets

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Solar power in Cyprus benefits from abundant sunshine, over 3,300 hours annually, offering the highest photovoltaic potential in the European Union (EU).[3] By 2025, Cyprus has made rapid advances in both rooftop and utility-scale solar adoption, despite facing significant infrastructure and grid management challenges.[1][2]

Solar energy has become a cornerstone of Cyprus’s clean energy transition. According to the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, and Industry, Cyprus reached approximately 850 MW of installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity by mid-2025, a remarkable increase from 125 MW just a few years earlier.[4] Solar now accounts for an estimated 21% of total national electricity generation, helping meet ambitious EU-mandated climate targets.[5]

Policy and Targets

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Cyprus’s National Energy and Climate Plan aims for renewable sources to generate at least 40% of electricity by 2030, primarily through solar power.[4]An important policy detail: net metering for new residential and commercial PV installations has been temporarily extended until December 31, 2025, after which new applicants will be subject to a net billing scheme.[12] Existing net metering customers are unaffected until their contracts expire. Government incentives promote self-consumption and energy storage, and the rollout of smart meters is underway to over 400,000 homes and businesses.[4]

Growth and Curtailment

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Recent years have seen record PV expansion but also record grid curtailment. In the first half of 2025, over 181 GWh of solar electricity, more than half of all renewable output, was curtailed due to the island’s grid limitations and lack of large-scale storage.[1][2][6][7] The curtailment rate jumped from 13.4% in 2023, to 29% in 2024, and a staggering 58% by summer 2025,[1][2][6] highlighting the urgent need for grid upgrades and storage integration.[7]

PV statistics

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Photovoltaics installed
Year Installed
(MWp)		 Total
(MWp)		 Generation
(GWh)
2009 1.1 3.3 2.9
2010 2.9 6.2 5.6
2011 3.8 10.1 12.0
2012 7.2 17.3 20.0
2013 17.5 34.8 45.8
2014 30.0 64.8 104.0
Source: PV Barometer[8]
Solar panels at a tourist shelter, Troodos Mountains

Large-Scale Projects

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Recent years have featured the development of commercial-scale PV parks, such as the Vassiliko Cement Works Photovoltaic Park (8 MW, operational since 2020),[9] as well as ongoing efforts to establish a 30-50 MW bicommunal solar power plant, overseen by the United Nations Development Programme and the EU.[4]

Name of Plant Peak capacity
(MW)		 Start of operation Notes
Vassiliko Cement Works Photovoltaic Park[10] 8 2020 Located in the Amalas area covers approximately 10% of Vassiliko Cement Works needs in electricity.

Challenges and Future Outlook

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Despite EU-leading solar irradiation, Cyprus’s isolated grid, without interconnection to the continental system, creates major balancing and storage issues.[11] Widespread curtailment, rapidly changing policy, and the need for significant investment in energy storage and grid flexibility remain pressing challenges.[1][2][7] The shift from net metering to net billing for new installations starting in 2026 adds complexity for households planning solar investments.[12][13] New battery initiatives, digital grid management, and the introduction of hybrid solar-storage business models are expected to define the sector's evolution toward 2030 and beyond.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Tomaras, Apostolos (2025-08-19). "Cyprus sets record for wasted solar energy in 2025". Kathimerini Cyprus (Knews).
  2. ^ a b c d e "Cyprus curtails more than half of renewables, including residential solar". PV Magazine. 2025-06-09.
  3. ^ "Solar power in Cyprus". Wikipedia. January 2023. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Renewable Energy Roadmap for the Republic of Cyprus" (PDF). Energy.gov.cy. July 2023.
  5. ^ "Cyprus Electricity Generation Mix 2025". LowCarbonPower.org. 2025-09-05.
  6. ^ a b "Cyprus curtails as much renewable electricity in first half of 2025 as whole last year". Balkan Green Energy News. 2025-07-10.
  7. ^ a b c "Storage Problems Curtailing Cyprus Solar Power Electricity." The National Herald. 29 July 2025". The National Herald. 2025-07-29.
  8. ^ EUROBSER'VER (April 2015). "Photovoltaic Barometer - installations 2013 and 2014" (PDF). energies-renouvelables.org. pp. 7–10. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 May 2015.
  9. ^ "Investing in RES". 2024-12-23.
  10. ^ "VASSILIKO CEMENT WORKS PHOTOVOLTAIC PARK NOW LIVE" (PDF). Vassiliko Cement. Vassiliko Cement Works. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  11. ^ "Our View: Cyprus pushes solar power then wastes it". Cyprus Mail. 2025-02-05.
  12. ^ "Cyprus solar net metering Ends: Shocking 2025 Change". Cyprus-FAQ. 2025-09-17.
  13. ^ "Cyprus Solar Net Metering Extended to 2025 – What Homeowners Need to Know". Eletoyia Blog. 2025-09-23.
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