Solar energy has emerged as a central pillar of the European Union’s clean energy transition, with new data highlighting rapid capacity growth, rising consumer adoption and increasing economic benefits across the bloc.

Renewable sources accounted for 47.5 per cent of the EU’s total electricity consumption in 2024, with solar photovoltaic (PV) contributing nearly a quarter of that share at 23.4 per cent. In a historic milestone, solar energy became the EU’s largest source of electricity generation for the first time in June 2025.

Solar capacity exceeds EU targets

The EU’s installed solar PV capacity is estimated to have reached 406 GW in 2025, up from 338 GW in 2024. This comfortably exceeds the 380 GW target set under the EU Solar Energy Strategy launched in 2022. The rapid expansion has been driven largely by steep declines in technology costs, making solar PV one of the most competitive electricity sources across several EU regions.

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