Data from think-tank Ember and its European Electricity Review 2026 highlight that in 2025, solar and wind power generated more electricity in the EU than fossil fuels, thanks to a huge increase in solar power uptake across the EU.
In fact, the analysis highlighted that 14 of the 27 EU members saw electricity production frow renewable sources contribute more to their fuel mix than fossil fuels. This is an increase from 2025’s report, where Ember found solar power surpassed coal.
Renewable electricity in the EU
Eurostat data released in March 2026 revealed that European Union wide level, 47.3% of electricity was generated by renewable sources, a 0.1 percentage point increase on the previous year. The breakdown of renewable electricity production is as follows:
- Wind: 37.5%
- Solar: 27.5%
- Hydro: 25.9%
- Combustible renewable fuels (8.5%)
The stats pointed out that solar was the fastest growing renewable source in the EU.
Eurostat also revealed that Denmark, Austria and Portugal were the three countries with the highest renewable mix.
Electricity sources in Cyprus
The Ember review noted that 23% of Cyprus’ electricity came from solar and wind; specifically, 20% of Cyprus electricity comes from solar presently, with wind making up just 3%. While Eurostat’s data placed Cyprus as fifth lowest for renewable electricity mix, the Ember report placed Cyprus second from last, although both data sets credited Cyprus with having about a fifth of its electricity come from renewables.
In fact, solar power’s share of Cyprus’ energy has been climbing, although in full context, Cyprus was second from the bottom in terms of renewable contribution.
What does this mean for Cypriots?
While it is good news that a fifth of Cyprus’ electricity comes from renewable sources, it bears noting that there is huge opportunity for renewably generated electricity to make up a large share of the island’s fuel mix.
Greater reliance on solar power means a lower reliance on fossil fuels that are regularly disrupted by conflict in the Middle East.
While Cyprus doesn’t have the geography to invest more in wind farms or hydro power like Denmark or Portugal, Cyprus does have the sun on its side – in fact European Commission research in 2017 noted that the island has 3300 hours of sunlight per year, giving Cyprus ‘the highest solar power potential in the European Union’.
What more can Cyprus do for renewable electricity?
Currently, Cyprus wastes 47% of the solar power it produces. Investing in battery infrastructure to store excess solar power is the missing piece of Cyprus renewable energy puzzle, with tangible benefits for the Cypriot public, in the form of sustainable energy powering homes and businesses, more affordable electricity rates and a greener carbon footprint.
While steps are being taken to address this, such as February’s introduction of a subsidy scheme for energy storage systems, the end result is every new solar panel installed in Cyprus contributes less per person.
Black Carbon Media 