Solar power in Cyprus
Solar power in Cyprus benefits from over 3,300 hours of sunlight annually, giving it the highest potential in the European Union. At the end of 2025, Cyprus had 957 MW of solar power, of which 300 GWh was curtailed, and net metering ended.
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.
In Cyprus, photovoltaic 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 had facilitated the installation of over 17,000 PV systems by 2021.
Solar targets
In 2011, the Cypriot target of solar power, including both photovoltaics and concentrated solar power, was a combined 7% of electricity by 2020.While Cyprus saw a 16% increase in solar panel installations in a 2021 report, the country still grapples with low renewable energy usage, standing at 13.8%, compared to the EU average of 19.7% in 2019.
The 2021 Energy Resource Guide from the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce outlines Cyprus's active expansion of solar energy to mitigate carbon emissions and meet EU targets. At that time, Cyprus had 125 MW of solar power capacity. The country aimed to increase total renewable energy penetration in the electricity sector to 700-750 MW by 2023, primarily through solar power initiatives. Efforts included promoting electric vehicles via charging infrastructure and encouraging solar adoption through programs like net metering and self-consumption.