Sunlight to panels
Panels on your roof capture sunlight and convert it into electricity.
Chapter 1
How solar works
From sunlight to lower bills in five steps.
Power your home
The electricity generated powers your home and appliances first.
Use or store
Use electricity at home. Excess energy can be stored in a battery.
Export to the grid
Any surplus energy is sent to the grid through net billing.
Get credited
You receive credit on your EAC bill for the exported energy.
A home solar system has four main parts. The panels on your roof turn sunlight into DC electricity; an inverter converts it into the AC power your appliances use; a meter measures what you draw from and send to the grid; and an optional battery stores surplus for the evening.
Panels typically carry 25-year performance guarantees and need little maintenance beyond occasional cleaning — worth knowing in Cyprus, where dust and low rainfall can trim output. Because a system produces most around midday, the economics depend on how much of that power you use yourself — which is where system sizing, your habits and a battery come in.
Chapter 2
How solar works in Cyprus
The island's sunshine and some of Europe's most expensive grid power make Cyprus one of the best places for home solar.
Solar yield
~1,600 kWh / kW
With 300+ sunny days a year, each kW of panels produces about 1,600 kWh annually — nearly double what the same panel yields in northern Europe.
Electricity rates
€0.32 vs €0.10
You pay EAC roughly €0.32 per kWh, but exported solar earns only around €0.10 per kWh under net billing.
Typical payback
4–6 years
High bills plus strong sunshine mean most systems pay for themselves within a few years — faster with a grant.
What is net billing?
Since 1 January 2026, new solar systems in Cyprus operate under net billing. Solar power you consume the moment it's produced replaces electricity you would buy at the full retail rate. Surplus you export is credited on your EAC bill — but at the much lower market rate.
That gap between buy and sell prices makes self-consumption king: the more of your own solar you use, the more you save. A home battery — storing midday surplus for the evening — has therefore become the key upgrade, and it's exactly what the state grant now supports.
Updated July 2026
The numbers at a glance
State support for home solar now runs through the government's "Save & Upgrade Homes" scheme (Εξοικονομώ – Αναβαθμίζω). Here is what it pays, who qualifies and how to apply — in plain language.
Solar panels
€450 / kW
For net-billing PV systems up to 10 kW — up to €4,500 per home.
Battery storage
€720 / kWh
For a battery of up to 4 kWh installed with the new PV — up to €2,880 on top.
Increased support
€1,000 / kW
Vulnerable households, mountain communities and displaced persons get higher rates — €960/kWh for batteries.
Next round
September 2026
A new €20 million call was announced in May 2026; applications are expected to open within September.
What that means in euros
A typical home installing a 4 kW system with a 4 kWh battery could receive €1,800 for the panels plus €2,880 for the battery — €4,680 toward the installation, at the officially confirmed rates of the latest completed call.
How the scheme works
Save & Upgrade Homes is a whole-home energy renovation scheme co-funded by the EU. Solar panels and batteries are two of the measures it covers, alongside insulation, heat pumps, solar water heaters and new windows.
For most application types, the renovation must cut your home's primary energy use by at least 60% — which is why the process starts with an energy performance certificate (EPC) issued by a registered qualified expert. The battery grant is tied to a newly installed PV system.
Who can apply
- Private individuals — not companies — with one application per person per call
- An active EAC domestic electricity account in your name
- Older homes: first connected to the grid before 2008, or with a building-permit application filed before 21 Dec 2007
- The home stays residential and non-commercial for at least 5 years
- Tax, VAT and social-insurance obligations in good standing
How to apply
Hire a qualified expert
A registered expert inspects your home and issues the initial energy performance certificate (EPC).
Plan the measures
Decide with your expert and installer what to include — e.g. PV, battery, insulation.
Register on Ariadni
Create an account on the government's Ariadni online gateway.
Submit the application
Applications go through the Ministry's FundingApps platform, with your EPC, EAC bill and title deed.
Install and claim
Works may start after the initial EPC (at your own risk before approval) and must be done by registered installers.
Most installers handle the grant paperwork with you — it's worth asking for this when comparing quotes.
What changed in 2026
Net billing replaced net metering
Since 1 January 2026, new solar systems operate under net billing: solar power you use yourself is worth the full retail rate, while exports earn the lower market rate. That shift makes home batteries far more valuable.
"Photovoltaics for All" ended
The popular pay-through-your-EAC-bill scheme closed on 31 December 2025, together with net metering.
The old €1,500 PV grant closed
The RES Fund's €375/kW grant (max €1,500) held its final, restricted application window in May 2026. New applicants should look to Save & Upgrade instead.
Amounts shown are the officially confirmed rates of the latest completed Save & Upgrade call (2024–25). Rates for the September 2026 call may differ, budgets are limited and awarded first-come first-served, and criteria can change. EnergyHero is independent and not affiliated with any government scheme — always confirm current details with your installer or the Ministry of Energy.
Official sources: the Ministry's Save & Upgrade scheme page and the government funding portal.
See your numbers first
Before the paperwork, check what solar would actually save on your EAC bills — it takes 60 seconds.
Get your personalised savings estimate by email.
One email with your estimate — no spam. Privacy policy