Solar power in Central Europe has grown at twice the average rate of the European Union since 2019. Once synonymous with coal, the region has become Europe’s new solar powerhouse and is rapidly positioning itself as the continent’s battery hub, according to a report by EMBER.

The analysis examines electricity generation trends in Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia between 2019 and 2024, with projections for 2025. Its findings show that solar generation in the region has expanded far above the EU average while coal’s share has declined, though progress has varied among countries. The report also reviews the adoption of battery storage and other flexibility technologies, highlighting successful examples in the region.

Record-breaking summers in 2025 underscored this transformation: solar power supplied over 40% of Hungary’s electricity and more than one-fifth in Poland. However, national plans for 2030 still set renewable energy targets well below the EU average, potentially slowing momentum. To maintain progress, countries must pair solar expansion with storage and grid flexibility, while capitalizing on their leadership in battery manufacturing.

Accelerated growth and the decline of coal

Between 2019 and 2024, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia nearly sextupled their solar generation, from 5 TWh to 29 TWh. By comparison, the EU as a whole increased solar output 2.5 times over the same period, from 125 TWh to 308 TWh.

This achievement is even more striking given the region’s modest solar potential, below-average GDP, and political hurdles. Hungary emerged as a global leader in 2024, with solar providing nearly 25% of its electricity generation. Czechia nearly doubled its solar output since 2019 and became the first country in the region to legalize agrivoltaics.

The transformation has gone hand in hand with coal’s retreat. In Czechia, coal’s share fell by seven percentage points over the past five years, prompting the government to move up its coal phase-out date from 2038 to 2033. Hungary cut coal use in half, from 12% to 6%, while also reducing its reliance on gas, from 25% to 19%. In Poland, renewables outgenerated coal for the first time in June 2025. Slovakia, meanwhile, shut down its last coal-fired power plant in 2024, leaving only small cogeneration units in operation.

Uneven Progress: Hungary, Poland, and Czechia Lead, Slovakia Lags

While the region as a whole has made remarkable gains, progress has been uneven. Hungary, Poland, and Czechia stand out as frontrunners, while Slovakia has lagged behind.

Poland’s solar generation soared from 0.7 TWh in 2019 to 15 TWh in 2024—more than a twentyfold increase. The country now boasts more than 1.5 million solar prosumers. In June 2025, solar accounted for 22% of its electricity generation, with total installed capacity reaching 23 GW.

Czechia re-entered the solar market on a gigawatt scale in 2023 after more than a decade of stagnation. In 2024, it added over 1 GW, doubling its output compared to 2019, reaching 4 TWh. By June 2025, solar covered 14.7% of Czech electricity generation.

Hungary set a new benchmark in June 2025, when solar supplied 42% of monthly electricity generation. The country rose from a 4% solar share in 2019 to nearly 25% in 2024. Its success was fueled by supportive policies such as net metering and feed-in tariffs (KÁT), which guaranteed above-market purchase prices and priority grid access. However, momentum slowed after 2023, when net metering was replaced by net billing, and new grid connection permits stalled.

Slovakia’s progress has been hindered by unfavorable policies, including an eight-year moratorium on grid connections. Although it added 267 MW in 2023 and 274 MW in 2024, growth remains modest compared to its neighbors.

The Paradox of Low 2030 Targets

In their initial National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) of 2019, Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia, and Poland ranked among the lowest in the EU in renewable electricity targets. Ambition was so low that by 2024, Czechia, Hungary, and Poland had already surpassed their 2030 solar targets.

Even after revisions, the updated goals remain below the EU average of 66% renewable electricity by 2030. Current projections stand at 31% for Czechia, 42% for Hungary, 51% for Poland, and 26% for Slovakia.

Nevertheless, innovative measures are emerging. In 2024, Czechia legalized agrivoltaics and reclassified solar projects above 15 MW as “energy security” installations, granting them fast-track permitting and priority implementation.

The Key to the Future: Storage and Flexibility

The biggest challenge to sustaining solar growth in Central Europe is matching it with battery storage and flexible grid solutions. As of August 2025, the four countries had deployed only 0.1 GW of large-scale batteries—less than 2% of the EU’s capacity—despite accounting for 10% of its installed solar. In June 2025, Poland had to curtail 12% of its solar generation due to storage shortages.

Still, prospects are strong. Poland leads with a 7.3 GW pipeline of battery projects, including 0.8 GW already authorized or under construction, supported by capacity market auctions and a €1.2 billion subsidy program. Czechia is also advancing: over 90% of new residential solar systems include both a battery and a smart meter. In July 2025, during a local blackout, around 400 households helped stabilize the grid by collectively absorbing 6 MWh of surplus solar in their home batteries.

Demand-side flexibility remains underutilized. Smart meter penetration is still very low—just 3% in Czechia and 36% in Poland—compared to over 90% in the Netherlands, France, and Spain. Yet progress is emerging. Since 2017, Poland has used industrial demand response to balance the grid, later expanding it through capacity auctions.

Central Europe’s success in scaling solar power—despite modest natural conditions, lower economic strength, and political challenges—makes it not only a key player in the EU’s energy transition but also a model for emerging economies still dependent on coal. The next phase will depend on whether the region can translate this solar leadership into resilient energy systems powered by flexible grids and large-scale storage.