Brussels,

Solar Energy

Solar energy is a key pillar of the EU’s clean energy transition and the REPowerEU plan, helping reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels while providing an accessible option for households and businesses. Solar technologies convert sunlight into energy either as electricity (photovoltaics and concentrated solar power) or heat (solar thermal).

Why solar is accelerating in the EU

• Solar is the fastest growing energy source in the EU and is increasingly cost-competitive; the cost of solar power fell by ~90% between 2010 and 2023 (IRENA).
• In 2024, 47.5% of electricity consumed in the EU came from renewables, and 23.4% of renewable electricity came from solar (Eurostat, Jan 2026).
  
• June 2025 was the first month in which solar became the main source of electricity generated in the EU (22%).

Solar Policy Package (REPowerEU → Solar Strategy → RED III)

As part of REPowerEU, in May 2022 the Commission adopted the EU Solar Energy Strategy, identifying barriers and setting out initiatives to accelerate deployment.

• Official document: EU Solar Energy Strategy – COM(2022) 221

Targets highlighted by the Commission

• Objective to deliver over 380 GW solar PV by 2025 (already surpassed).
• Objective of at least 700 GW by 2030 (noting the “600 vs 700” figure depends on AC/DC accounting).

Permitting and acceleration
Alongside the Solar Strategy, the Commission presented initiatives on permitting, reflected in the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III):

• Revised Renewable Energy Directive (EU) 2023/2413

The Solar Strategy Initiatives (3 pillars)

The EU Solar Energy Strategy launched three initiatives:

1. European Solar Rooftops Initiative
Aims to unlock rooftop potential and support “solar-ready” buildings, with relevant provisions reflected in the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and a phased approach for installation on certain existing public buildings from 2027, where feasible.

• Related page: Solar energy in buildings
  

2. EU large-scale skills partnership
Launched March 2023 to help address skills gaps and build a qualified workforce for renewables.

• Launch reference (Pact for Skills): Large-scale renewable energy skills partnership

3. EU Solar PV Industry Alliance
Launched 9 December 2022 to support investments, diversify supply chains, and strengthen EU manufacturing capacity. The alliance endorsed an objective of 30 GW EU-dedicated manufacturing capacity by 2025 across the value chain.

• Related page: REPowerEU: New industrial Alliance to boost the EU's solar power and energy security
  

Permitting processes

Permitting can be a key bottleneck for solar deployment. The Commission links faster roll-out to new and strengthened provisions in EU legislation, notably the revised Renewable Energy Directive (EU/2023/2413), aimed at accelerating renewable deployment while respecting environmental standards.

• Legal text: Directive (EU) 2023/2413
  

Renewable energy communities (citizens and prosumers)

The Commission emphasises solar as one of the most accessible renewables for households, supporting self-consumption and helping protect consumers from volatile prices. Community approaches and citizen participation are part of the broader enabling framework for renewables.

• Broader enabling measures: Enabling framework for renewables
• Broader consumer/community context: Energy communities
  

European Solar Charter (15 April 2024)

On 15 April 2024, energy ministers from 23 EU countries, industry representatives and the Commissioner signed the European Solar Charter, setting out voluntary actions to support the EU photovoltaic manufacturing sector.

• Charter page: European Solar Charter
  

What it signals (policy intent)

• Stronger political coordination to reinforce EU PV manufacturing and reduce supply-chain risks.
• Complementary to broader EU initiatives supporting net-zero technology manufacturing.

Photovoltaics (PV)

Photovoltaics convert sunlight directly into electricity using solar cells assembled into panels installed on rooftops, ground-mounted sites, or floating systems.

EU trends highlighted by the Commission

• In 2024, PV accounted for 11% of the EU’s gross electricity output (Ember reference on the Commission page).
• Solar PV jobs: 10.6% of global solar PV jobs were located in the EU in 2024, estimated 764,400 jobs (IRENA reference on the Commission page).
• Growth expectation: Europe could exceed 1 million solar workers by 2027 (Solar Jobs Report 2024 reference on the Commission page).

Solar capacity (EU) – key facts (SolarPower Europe)

• 272.5 GW (2023)
• 338 GW (2024)
• 406 GW (2025)

Skills & industry support

Under the Net-Zero Industry Act, the European Solar Academy was launched in June 2024, aiming to train 100,000 workers over 3 years.

Concentrated solar power (CSP) and Solar thermal technologies

CSP uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight and produce heat/steam to generate electricity, and can be coupled with heat storage to produce electricity beyond daylight hours. The Commission notes about 2.3 GW of CSP has been installed in the EU since 2013, while most new projects have been outside the EU.

Solar thermal captures the sun’s heat, typically to heat water and spaces in buildings, and can also provide heat/steam for industry (and potentially cooling applications). The Commission highlights that the EU has a strong manufacturing base for solar thermal, with ~90% of demand met by EU production, and that solar thermal can be particularly competitive in parts of eastern and south-eastern Europe for replacing fossil-fuel heating.