EU solar energy sets record: 25% of power in June
For the first time ever, solar was the EU's top power source in June, supplying a quarter of all electricity generated.
Published on July 14, 2026
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Solar power supplied a quarter of the European Union's electricity in June 2026, a first for the bloc, according to new analysis from energy think tank Ember.
Solar generated a record 52 terawatt-hours (TWh) of EU electricity last month, accounting for 25% of total generation — surpassing the previous high of 47 TWh (23%) set just one month earlier, in May. The surge made solar the EU's single largest power source in June, ahead of nuclear (21%), gas (15%), wind (14%), and hydro (12%). Coal trailed at just 8%. June marks only the third time solar has topped the EU's generation mix, following May 2026 and June 2025.
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"Solar's rise has been truly stratospheric, beating prediction after prediction," said Chris Rosslowe, senior analyst at Ember. He noted that solar has rapidly evolved from a marginal contributor into a core pillar of Europe's power system, as governments and households turn to it as a cheap, fast-to-deploy source of domestic energy.
The record came as much of Europe faced high summer demand, driven in part by cooling needs during severe heatwaves. Solar helped keep the lights on as other sources faltered in the hot, still weather.
Five years of explosive growth
The milestone caps a period of extraordinary expansion. In June 2021, solar met just 10% of EU power demand (21 TWh). Between 2021 and 2025, solar output grew by more than 20% annually — the fastest growth rate of any power source — fueled largely by a wave of new installations, including 65.1 GW added in 2025 alone.
National records across the bloc
The boom is playing out across member states, with eighteen EU countries setting new monthly solar-share records so far in 2026.
Spain crossed the one-third threshold for the first time in June, with solar supplying 34% of its power, aided by renewable-friendly policies that have helped cushion household energy bills. Germany reached a 33% solar share in May — also a first — before climbing further to 36% in June. Poland, despite remaining one of the EU's biggest coal consumers, generated nearly a quarter of its electricity from solar in June (24%), after adding more than 20 GW of solar capacity since 2020.