Greece is close to reaching 20 GW of renewable energy capacity, excluding large hydropower, even as rising curtailment and low wholesale prices put pressure on solar producers, Balkan Green Energy News reports. The figures were presented at the Renewable & Storage Forum in Greece.
Growth continues
In the first ten months of 2026, 2,700 MW of new capacity was connected to the transmission network, of which 600 MW was wind and the rest solar. The grid operator IPTO, also known as ADMIE, expects 3,200 MW for the full year, according to Dimitris Mihos, IPTO Senior Business Development Manager.
Including the distribution network, total renewable installations have passed 19 GW and should reach almost 20 GW by the end of December.
Curtailment is the main problem
Growth has come at a cost for producers. By August 2026, curtailment had reached 1,905 GWh, or 8.1% of total renewable production. Higher wholesale prices this year have made negative prices less frequent, but profitability remains a problem for many plant owners.
"Acquiring connection terms is no longer sufficient to realize a project," said Panagiotis Mourtopallas, chairman of the Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Companies (HELAPCO). He added: "Delays in energy storage have created a gap in investment continuity."
Storage is lagging
Greece currently has 800 MW of standalone battery storage in operation. The Ministry of Environment and Energy has set a target of 4 GW by 2028. Deputy Minister Nikos Tsafos said that about 10 GW of storage projects, including pumped hydro and small self-consumption batteries, are waiting for a grid connection.
A debate over household solar
A recent ministerial decree gives households with self-consumption systems of up to 10.8 kW an extra incentive: they do not have to pay for electricity during hours when the wholesale price is negative, while other market producers do. About 1.15 GW of self-consumption capacity is already installed, and HELAPCO expects 300 MW to 350 MW of new installations in this category in 2027.
HELAPCO has written to the government, arguing that the incentive will distort the market by artificially inflating self-consumption projects beyond actual needs.
Pressure on small producers
The strain is visible among community projects. One of Greece's oldest energy communities has decided to sell its 17 solar farms in northern Greece, while another is trying to raise EUR 400,000 in new equity to avoid a sale, according to Petros Tsikouras, chairman of the Panhellenic Federation of Associations of Photovoltaic Energy Producers.
What it means for European developers
Greece shows what happens when solar grows faster than storage and grid flexibility. A grid connection alone no longer guarantees a viable project; revenue now depends on how much output is curtailed and when it can be sold. For developers in Greece and across the Balkans, the lesson is to plan storage from the start and to factor curtailment into financial models. The 4 GW storage target and the 10 GW queue suggest that battery projects, and solar plants with co-located storage, will be the main opportunity in the Greek market over the next few years.
Source: Balkan Green Energy News, based on figures presented at the Renewable & Storage Forum.
