:Solar power in Greece
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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.{{cite web|url=https://theprogressplaybook.com/2024/02/14/how-greece-became-a-solar-leader/|title=How Greece became a solar leader|page=|author=Nick Hedley|publisher=The Progress Playbook|date=2024-02-14|access-date=2024-03-30}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/greece-renewable-energy-gets-a-democratic-retrofit-in-democracys-birthplace/a-68238698|title=Energy democracy takes off in Greece|page=|author=Alexia Kalaitzi|publisher=Deutsche Welle|date=2024-02-19|access-date=2024-03-30}}
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.{{cite web|url=https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-electricity-solar?tab=chart&country=~GRC|title=Share of electricity production from solar - Greece|author=|publisher=Our World in Data|date=2023|access-date=2023-06-25}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://taiyangnews.info/markets/greece-targets-34-5-gw-total-pv-capacity-by-2050/|title=Greece Targets 34.5 GW Total PV Capacity By 2050|author=Anu Bhambhani|publisher=TaiyangNews|date=2023-01-20|access-date=2023-06-25}}
At the end of 2024, the installed capacity was at 9.6 GW,{{Cite web |date=2025-02-05 |title=Greece installs 2.6 GW of PV capacity in 2024 |url=https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/02/05/greece-installs-2-6-gw-of-pv-capacity-in-2024/ |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=pv magazine International |language=en-US}} double the capacity compared to two years before.
History
File:Photovoltaics Installed Capacity and Production in Greece.svg
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,[http://helapco.gr/ims/file/english/New%20Greek%20FiT(1).pdf New feed‐in‐tariffs for PV in Greece (Feb 2012)] with further reductions over time.[http://helapco.gr/en/the-greek-pv-market/ HELAPCO: The Greek PV Market] These measures enabled the deficit to be erased by 2017.{{cite web |title=Greek PV Market Investment Opportunities |url=https://helapco.gr/pdf/Greek_PV_Market_Opportunities_Aug2019.pdf |publisher=HELAPCO |access-date=18 October 2019}}
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.[http://www.lagie.gr/fileadmin/groups/EDRETH/DAS_Monthly_Reports/201504_DAS_Monthly_Report.pdf LAGIE: DAS Monthly Reports] Greece ranks 5th worldwide with regard to per capita installed PV capacity.
Future developments
Two new photovoltaic parks are currently (August 2024) under construction in Western Macedonia with a total capacity of 1,000MW.{{Cite web |last=Ξυπνητού |first=Μαρίνα |date=2024-06-21 |title=Δύο μεγάλα φωτοβολταϊκά πάρκα ισχύος 1 GW στη Δυτική Μακεδονία από τη ΔΕΗ |url=https://ypodomes.com/dyo-megala-fotovoltaika-parka-ischyos-1-gw-sti-dytiki-makedonia-apo-ti-dei/ |access-date=2024-08-18 |website=Ypodomes.com |language=el}} This new energy project is carried out by Greece's Public Power Corporation in a joint venture with RWE Renewables Europe & Australia. 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)
Installed capacity
{{main|Solar power in the European Union|Growth of photovoltaics}}
| class="wikitable"
|+Greek solar power development{{cite web|url=https://www.eurobserv-er.org/photovoltaic-barometer-2011/|title=Photovoltaic Barometer 2011|page=7/22|author=|publisher=EurObserv’ER|date=2010-11-28|access-date=2023-06-25}}{{cite web|url=https://www.eurobserv-er.org/photovoltaic-barometer-2022/|title=Photovoltaic Barometer 2022|page=2/6|author=|publisher=EurObserv’ER|date=2022-04-28|access-date=2023-06-25}}{{cite web|url=https://www.eurobserv-er.org/photovoltaic-barometer-2024/|title=Photovoltaic Barometer 2024|page=2/7|author=|publisher=EurObserv’ER|date=2024-04-30|access-date=2024-08-03}} | |||
| Year
! Capacity ! Watts ! Electricity | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| align=right | 2010 | align=center | 205 | align=center | 18 | align=center | 0.3% |
| align=right | 2020 | align=center | 3,287 | align=center | 304 | align=center | 9.2% |
| align=right | 2023 | align=center | 6,453 | align=center | 620 | align=center | 19.0% |
List of power stations
= Current =
| class="wikitable"
|+ Greece's largest photovoltaic (PV) power plants[http://www.pvresources.com/en/top50_greece.php Large-scale photovoltaic power plants located in Greece] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100104135147/http://www.pvresources.com/en/top50_greece.php |date=2010-01-04 }}[http://www.ppcr.gr/Energy.aspx?C=53 PPC Renewables Photovoltaic Parks] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721082834/http://www.ppcr.gr/Energy.aspx?C=53 |date=2011-07-21 }} ! Location ! Capacity ! Description ! Constructed | ||
| Kozani
|204 MW |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 =
See also
{{Portal|Greece|Energy|Renewable energy}}