How much solar energy has been curtailed in Cyprus in 2025?

In the first five months of 2025, Cyprus’ grid operators curtailed 19,850 MWh of solar from residential and small commercial PV systems – about 14% of total curtailed energy during that period, Procopiou told pv magazine.

Will Cyprus' electricity grid handle two-way flows of electricity?

The electricity grid in Cyprus was designed decades ago (1970s) to handle power from large, centralised fossil-fuel plants that generate electricity and push it one-way toward consumers. But with the rise of rooftop solar and commercial PV farms, the system is now expected to handle two-way flows of electricity—something it simply wasn’t built for.

Why does Cyprus have a lack of solar energy?

Lack of Storage: Unlike other countries with hydroelectric dams or large battery storage facilities, Cyprus has nowhere to store excess solar energy during peak hours. Grid Congestion: In some areas, distribution lines can’t handle the extra electricity being pushed into them, forcing operators to curtail solar production.

What is happening with solar energy in Cyprus?

Curtailment Issues & Grid Limitations – Recent articles highlighting curtailment of excess solar energy due to grid instability. The magnitude of the curtailment problem in Cyprus - In 2024, 29% of green electricity was curtailed. This is equivalent of the total annual consumption of approximately 28,000 households.

How much is Cyprus spending on energy transformation projects?

Here’s a simplified estimate of what Cyprus is spending on its large-scale energy transformation projects, along with their expected delivery dates: Total cost: Conservatively €3.7 billion (could be more due to delays, contract disputes, and infrastructure challenges).

Why is solar curtailment increasing in Cyprus?

The increase in residential solar curtailment comes as Cyprus’ self-consumption programs – net metering and net billing – contribute a large share of newly added PV capacity. In 2024, Cyprus installed 159 MW of new solar capacity, of which 100 MW were self-consumption units.