Apostolos Tomaras
Cyprus is wasting record levels of solar energy this year, even as rolling blackouts last week left homes and businesses without power during a heatwave.
The Cyprus Transmission System Operator (TSOC) imposed the outages to protect the grid. But at the same time, the system was discarding solar energy that, under different circumstances, could have covered the surge in demand and prevented cuts.
The debate following Kathimerini’s Sunday report has centered on the lack of energy storage, particularly for photovoltaic systems. Storage would allow excess daytime generation to be used during peak demand in extreme heat.
Wasted energy outpaces blackout deficits
Data from the independent analytics platform CyprusGrid show the amount of renewable energy curtailed by TSOC for security reasons far exceeds the shortages that triggered this summer’s blackouts. Since 2022, Cyprus has repeatedly set new records for lost solar power.
In the first half of 2025 alone, curtailed solar energy totaled 181,100 megawatt-hours (MWh) — more than all of 2024 combined. That compares with just 9,900 MWh in 2022.
About 89% of this year’s losses came from commercial solar parks, with 12% from residential systems. On average, Cyprus lost 890 MWh per day, even though on Aug. 12 the TSOC ordered blackouts over a deficit of only 60 MWh.
Renewable capacity vs. conventional power
Installed renewable energy capacity now stands at 1,078 megawatts (MW), nearly equal to the 1,478 MW of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus’s (EAC) fuel-based plants. Of that, 908 MW comes from photovoltaics, 158 MW from wind and 12 MW from biomass.
In July, renewables generated as much as 600 MW, according to TSOC data — enough to cover the shortfalls that led to last week’s outages.
Economic fallout
The blackouts hit households, businesses and critical services at the height of summer. While there has been no official estimate of losses, food service, entertainment and small businesses without backup power were among those most affected.
Hotels, legally required to have generators, escaped the cuts. But the outages have underscored broader concerns about energy security in Cyprus.
How curtailments work
When demand and supply need balancing, TSOC orders curtailments in stages: first from large-scale renewable facilities, then from smaller producers including residential systems. The orders are executed by the Distribution System Operator across 15 rotating consumer-producer groups.
That meant that while solar parks were shedding hundreds of megawatt-hours a day, the grid was still short by just 60 MWh during the blackouts.
Storage targeted for 2026
The government has pledged to fast-track grid-integrated storage, aiming to complete installations by June 2026 at two EAC power stations.
But private investors have criticized the government for seeking a Brussels exemption that allows TSOC to develop and own storage systems, despite also acting as market operator and gatekeeper for new projects.
According to industry stakeholders, five private storage projects are ready but still awaiting connection terms from TSOC.
This article was translated from its Greek original.
