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A quarter of EU power came from solar for the first time in June
A quarter of EU power came from solar for the first time in June
The EU saw a record share of power from solar in June 2026, making it the EU’s largest single source of power for only the third month ever.
14 Jul 2026
3 Minutes Read
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Chris Rosslowe
Senior Energy Analyst, Europe
Ember
Nicolas Fulghum
Senior Data Analyst
Ember
Ali Candlin
Communications Manager Europe
Ember
About
This analysis looks at monthly records for solar generation in the EU and EU countries, finding that a quarter of EU power came from solar in June 2026 for the first ever month. More monthly data and data trends can be accessed in Ember’s Electricity Data Explorer.
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Record solar output pushes EU’s solar share to a quarter of power
For the first month ever, solar power provided a quarter of EU electricity this June. Solar generated a record 52 TWh of EU electricity in June 2026, making up 25% of monthly generation for the bloc. This beat solar’s previous monthly high of 47 TWh (23%) in May 2026.
Solar was the EU’s largest single source of power for the month, ahead of nuclear (21%), gas (15%), wind (14%) and hydro (12%), as coal generated just 8%. This is only the third month that solar has been the EU’s largest source of power, after June 2025 and May 2026.
Record solar output across Europe coincided with relatively high summer power demand, driven partially by demand for cooling due to record-breaking heatwaves. Solar helped sustain power supplies as other power sources struggled in hot and still conditions.
Solar’s rise has been truly stratospheric, beating prediction after prediction. In just a few years solar has gone from a small player to an essential part of Europe’s power system, as governments and citizens look for low-cost, quick-to-install domestic power sources.
Chris Rosslowe<br> Senior Energy Analyst, Ember
As installations keep up a high pace, solar booms
This milestone follows a period of extremely rapid growth over the past five years. In June of 2021, solar generated just 10% of power (21 TWh).
Solar has grown by more than a fifth every year in the EU between 2021 and 2025 – the fastest growth of any power source. This is predominantly due to a high pace of installations, with 65.1 GW of new capacity installed in 2025.
Solar is hitting new records across EU countries
Solar’s growth is visible across the EU’s Member States. In 2026 so far, eighteen EU countries have hit new monthly records for the percentage of power from solar.
In Spain, solar generated over a third of power in June 2026 for the first time (34%). Supportive policies for renewables in Spain have boosted roll-out, helping avoid €10 a month on power bills in the energy crisis following the US-Israel war with Iran.
In Germany, solar generated more than a third of electricity in May for the first time (33%), reaching a 36% share in June.
Poland generated nearly a quarter of electricity from solar in June (24%). Despite being one of the EU’s largest coal users, Poland has also seen some of the most rapid solar growth in Europe, adding over 20 GW of solar capacity between 2020 and 2025.
Supporting materials
Methodology
Electricity generation data for the EU is using Ember’s Monthly Electricity Data. A full methodology of sources and adjustments can be found here.
‘Share of generation’ referred to in this report includes domestic generation, but excludes imports and export flows of electricity.
Acknowledgements
Thank you for the support from Lauren Orso on data visualisations, Claire Kaelin on digital and Leo Heberer for data checks.
Cover image
Liam Matter / Getty Images
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