European Solar Power Surges in Early 2025

LITTLETON: Electricity generation from solar sources in Europe experienced a surge of over 30% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. This increase positions the region’s solar energy sector for potentially record-breaking performance throughout the year.

Data from Ember indicates that total solar electricity production from January to March reached nearly 68 terawatt hours (TWh), marking a 32% increase from the previous year.

In March, solar energy accounted for 8.2% of Europe’s utility-supplied electricity, a rise from 6% in March of the previous year. This demonstrates solar power’s rapid emergence as a crucial electricity source for regional utilities, even during the winter months.

As the peak solar production period in Europe occurs during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer, total solar output and electricity share are expected to increase further in the upcoming months, thereby reinforcing the region’s ongoing energy transition initiatives.

Driving Clean Energy

The increase in solar energy production across Europe is part of a wider initiative aimed at reducing reliance on fossil fuels and expanding electricity production via clean energy sources. Clean energy accounted for a record 61.3% of Europe’s total electricity production in 2024.

During the first quarter of 2025, Europe’s clean energy share decreased to 57% due to lower wind speeds, which resulted in a 15% decrease in wind power production compared to the same quarter in 2024.

As wind farms represent Europe’s third-largest source of clean energy (following nuclear plants and hydroelectric dams), utilities were compelled to increase output from gas and coal plants earlier this year to maintain system equilibrium.

Looking ahead, the proportion of clean energy in the overall generation mix is anticipated to recover as output from fossil fuel plants declines due to reduced heating demand, and as solar farms reach their peak production phase.

Widespread Adoption

Until approximately 2010, Germany and Spain accounted for over 80% of Europe’s total solar generation capacity.

However, owing to considerable cost reductions and enhancements in solar system efficiency, numerous other countries have significantly expanded their solar capacity over the past decade.

Consequently, solar farms are now distributed throughout Europe, with several countries reporting double-digit growth rates in recent years.

During the first quarter of 2025, several countries, including Turkey (+54%), the Netherlands (+63%), Poland (+44%), and Switzerland (+43%), demonstrated greater solar output gains compared to the regional average, when compared to the first quarter of 2024.

Furthermore, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, and Spain all recorded solar electricity shares exceeding 10% during the first quarter, highlighting the increasing significance of the solar sector within Europe’s generation mix.

These share levels are projected to more than double in the coming months as solar radiation reaches its peak and daylight hours increase during the summer.

Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain are all expected to generate over 25% of their total electricity from solar sources during June, July, and August. This increase should contribute to an overall European average of approximately 14% during those months.

Italy, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Turkey are also anticipated to register double-digit solar electricity supply shares this summer, ensuring that almost every major regional economy achieves record deployment of solar energy for electricity in 2025.