Solar power in Greece

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.^[1] 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.^[2]

Solar insolation in Greece

Polycrystalline solar panels in Lixouri

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.^[3] 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.^[4]

At the end of 2024, the installed capacity was at 9.6 GW,^[5] double the capacity compared to two years before.

History

Photovoltaics installed capacity and production in Greece

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,^[6] with further reductions over time.^[7] These measures enabled the deficit to be erased by 2017.^[8]

Auctions have replaced FITs and after stagnating since 2013, as of 2019 Greece was again installing hundreds of MWp per year.^[8]

By April 2015, the total installed photovoltaic capacity in Greece had reached 2,442.6 MW_p from which 350.5 MW_p were installed on rooftops and the rest were ground mounted.^[9] Greece ranks 5th worldwide with regard to per capita installed PV capacity.^[8]

Future developments

Two new photovoltaic parks are currently (August 2024) under construction in Western Macedonia with a total capacity of 1,000MW.^[10] This new energy project is carried out by Greece's Public Power Corporation in a joint venture with RWE Renewables Europe & Australia.^[10] Both of these parks are expected to commence operations in 2025. In addition, a new photovoltaic park in Thessaly of a total capacity of 390MW is under design (as of August 2024)^[11]

Installed capacity

Main articles: Solar power in the European Union and Growth of photovoltaics

Greek solar power development^{[12][13][14][3]}

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 plants^[15][16]

Location	Capacity	Description	Constructed
Kozani	204 MW	Park of Kozani[17]	2022
Naoussa	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		1998
Tavros, ILPAP Building	20 kW		2009
Ethel Station	20 kW		2009
Maroussi, Eirini metro station	20 kW		2009

Future

Greece's largest photovoltaic (PV) power plants^{[16][18][11][10]}

Location	Capacity	Description	Constructed
Ptolemaida	550MW	Lignite Centre of Western Macedonia	To commence operation in 2025
Amyntaio	450MW	Western Macedonia	To commence operation in 2025
Thessaly	390MW	Park of Argyromylos	-
Megalopoli	50 MW	Park of Megalopoli	-
Crete	0.48 MW	Park of Atherinolakos	-

See also

• Greece portal
• Energy portal
• Renewable energy portal

• Renewable energy in Greece
• Desertec
• Solar power
• Solar power in the European Union
• Solar power by country
• Renewable energy by country