Cyprus solar installation applications drop amid subsidy anticipation

Households in Cyprus are significantly delaying the installation of residential photovoltaic systems throughout 2026. This trend follows public anticipation of a forthcoming government subsidy program designed to support the combined installation of solar panels and domestic battery storage systems. Consequently, many homeowners have opted to postpone their investment decisions until these financial incentives become available, even though current data suggests that such systems remain profitable without external grants.

Data from the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) highlights the scale of this shift. In 2025, the authority received 38,856 applications for self-consumption, with only 89 including storage systems. During the first eight months of 2026—specifically from January 1 to August 25—standalone self-consumption applications plummeted to 1,835, while applications featuring integrated battery storage reached 137. Total cumulative records for the same period show 40,691 solar self-consumption applications and 226 battery-integrated requests. While the majority of consumers are waiting for the new scheme, a smaller segment of buyers is proceeding with immediate installations to secure long-term energy savings.