Solar power in Greece has been driven by a combination of government incentives and equipment cost reductions. The installation boom started in the late 2000s with feed-in tariffs has evolved into a market featuring auctions, power purchase agreements, and self-generation. The country's relatively high level of solar insolation is an advantage boosting the effectiveness of solar panels; within Europe, Greece receives 50% more solar irradiation than Germany.
In 2022, solar power accounted for 12.6% of total electricity generation in Greece, up from 0.3% in 2010 and less than 0.1% in 2000. The national government's 2023 National Energy & Climate Plan anticipates solar PV capacity rising from 4.8 GW in 2022 to 14.1 GW in 2030, and 34.5 GW in 2050.
At the end of 2024, the installed capacity was at 9.6 GW, double the capacity compared to two years before.
History
Broad development of solar power in Greece started in the 2000s, with installations of photovoltaic systems skyrocketing from 2009 because of the appealing feed-in tariffs introduced and the corresponding regulations for domestic applications of rooftop solar PV. However, funding the FITs created an unacceptable deficit of more than €500 million in the Greek "Operator of Electricity Market" RES fund. To reduce that deficit, new regulations were introduced in August 2012 including retrospective feed-in tariffs reduction,New feed‐in‐tariffs for PV in Greece (Feb 2012) with further reductions over time.HELAPCO: The Greek PV Market These measures enabled the deficit to be erased by 2017.
Auctions have replaced FITs and after stagnating since 2013, as of 2019 Greece was again installing hundreds of MWp per year.
By April 2015, the total installed photovoltaic capacity in Greece had reached 2,442.6 MWp from which 350.5 MWp were installed on rooftops and the rest were ground mounted.LAGIE: DAS Monthly Reports Greece ranks 5th worldwide with regard to per capita installed PV capacity. In 2026 battery storage was integrated into the grid to cope with solar variations.
Future developments Most future developments are expected to be utility scale.
Installed capacity
+Greek solar power development Year Capacity (MW) Watts per capita Electricity generation % 2010 205 18 0.3% 2020 3,287 304 9.2% 2023 6,453 620 19.0%
List of power stations
Current
+ Greece's largest photovoltaic (PV) power plantsLarge-scale photovoltaic power plants located in Greece PPC Renewables Photovoltaic Parks Location Capacity Description ConstructedKozani204 MWPark of Kozani2022Naoussa 7+7 MW Photovoltaic plants cluster 2013 Florina 4.3 MW Florina industrial zone 2009 Volos 2 MW Photovoltaic power plant Volos 2009 Thebes 2 MW Photovoltaic power plant Thebes 2009 Koutsopodi 1.997 MW 2009 Tripoli 1.99 MW 2009 Pournari 1.25 MW 2009 Iliopenditiki 1 MW 2009 Pontoiraklia 944 kW 2009 Kythnos 100 kW 2009 Sifnos 60 kW 1998Tavros, ILPAP Building 20 kW 2009 Ethel Station 20 kW 2009 Maroussi, Eirini metro station 20 kW 2009
Future
+Greece's largest photovoltaic (PV) power plantsPPC to develop a large photovoltaic project in Kozani Location Capacity Description ConstructedPtolemaida550MWLignite Centre of Western MacedoniaTo commence operation in 2025Amyntaio450MWWestern MacedoniaTo commence operation in 2025Thessaly390MWPark of Argyromylos -Megalopoli 50 MW Park of Megalopoli -Crete 0.48 MW Park of Atherinolakos -
See also
Renewable energy in Greece Desertec Solar power Solar power in the European Union Solar power by country Renewable energy by country
References