Solar Panels for Your Home in Cyprus: Net Billing, Batteries, Permits and Costs (2026)

Since 1 January 2026 every new home solar system in Cyprus has been on net billing: the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) pays you in money for the power you export, at a price well below what you pay for electricity. That changes the sums, so this guide explains what net billing means for a household, how to connect legally, whether you need a permit, what batteries add and how to judge a quote.

What is the difference between net metering and net billing?

Under net metering, each kWh you exported offset a kWh you took from the grid, so the grid worked like a free battery. Net metering applications closed on 31 December 2025 by a Ministry of Energy decision. Households already on it keep it until their contract ends, which is 15 years from installation, and then move to net billing.

Under net billing, the surplus is paid as a money credit, not stored as units, and you pay the full retail price for everything you draw from the grid. New contracts run for 10 years, and the balance is settled every 12 months, usually in November or December (DOM, 8 January 2026). The same report put the 2025 export rate at 11 cents per kWh, against about 25 cents per kWh for summer electricity. Treat the rate as a guide: ask your installer for the figure that applies now.

A warning for existing owners. In February 2026 the EAC reset banked net metering credits to zero, citing a 36-month cap in the 2023 Self-Consumption Plan. Many households said they had no warning (Cyprus Mail, 8 March 2026). If you are buying a home with panels, ask for the EAC contract and recent bills.

How big can a home solar system be?

The EAC's own document on the Self-Consumption Plan says domestic net metering allowed a maximum of 10.4 kWp per electricity account. For net billing, ask your installer to confirm the cap for your supply (single or three phase) in writing before you sign. For most households the practical limit is your roof and your consumption: with exports paid so little, a system sized to your daytime use makes more sense than the biggest one that fits.

Do you need a planning permit for rooftop solar panels?

For a house, probably not a construction permit. In June 2023 parliament amended the roads and buildings law so that rooftop PV on existing buildings no longer needs one. The exceptions are buildings declared historical or ancient monuments, archaeological protection zones and airport zones (FastForward, 2 June 2023). Ask your installer to confirm in the quote that no permit is needed for your address.

Planning is only half the picture. The system must still be approved and inspected by the EAC. In 2026 the EAC began a crackdown on unauthorised systems: by 2 September it had found 110 suspected irregular installations at commercial premises, inspected 77, and confirmed 22 problems, in 17 of which no application had been filed. Systems found irregular were disconnected at once.

How do you apply to the EAC to connect solar panels?

The EAC's own document describes its role as grid operator, and it handles connection applications as the distribution system operator. Its regional distribution offices receive applications, check the documents, register them and issue the connection terms once an officer approves. In practice your installer handles most of it, but you should know the steps.

Why are home solar panels in Cyprus being switched off?

This is the main reason new owners are disappointed. When the grid has more solar than it can use, the transmission operator orders cuts. The EAC's own notice of 26 February 2026 disconnected PV systems of 0–499 kWp in several areas for grid stability, citing low demand and weather. CyprusGrid data reported by Cyprus Mail showed 162 GWh curtailed in the first five months of 2026, about 65% of the power that could have been generated. A 2025 industry estimate put that year's curtailment at about 46% (Cyprus Mail, 19 March 2026, a guest column whose authors have a commercial interest in batteries).

Some owners reported repeated daytime disconnections, with newer systems fitted with export-limiting controls hit hardest. So size your system for use during the day, and avoid selling a plan that assumes full output every sunny noon.

Are home batteries worth it, and is there a grant?

A battery lets you use your midday surplus in the evening, rather than selling it cheaply or losing it to curtailment. Costs we found:

The same article quotes a battery lifetime of 8 to 10 years depending on type, so work out payback over that period, not 25 years.

On incentives, the energy minister announced home battery subsidies in October 2025, but as of the end of August 2026 no scheme had been announced and grid-connected homes rarely had batteries: 137 of 1,835 EAC applications so far in 2026 (about 7%). A separate storage grant announced in August 2026 is aimed at businesses. Check the RES and Energy Conservation Fund before you buy, as a future scheme may require storage.

How much do solar panels cost for a home in Cyprus?

Prices per kWp are set by installers. The most recent dated figures for complete systems come from the property portal index.cy (16 July 2026): about €4,000–6,000 for 3 kW, €6,500–9,000 for 5 kW and €10,000–14,000 for 8 kW. That works out at roughly €1,300–1,800 per kW for a typical 5 kW system. These are portal estimates, not quotes: compare at least three written quotes that list panel and inverter brands, warranty length, the EAC application and inspection, and whether export control or battery readiness is included.

What about the 2026 Save and Upgrade Homes grant?

Briefly: photovoltaics with batteries could be funded only as part of a whole-home upgrade. But the €20 million budget, topped up to €27.5 million, was allocated within about a day and a half of opening on 20 October 2026, and the ministry stopped taking applications on 21 October (Cyprus Mail). Our guide to sustainable living in Cyprus covers the scheme's rules; watch the ministry's grants platform for any new call.

Can you put solar panels on an apartment block roof?

It is more complicated. The roof is usually common property, so expect to need the agreement of the owners or management committee (index.cy, 16 July 2026). The EAC lists a Virtual Net Billing scheme allowing PV up to 150 kWp per consumption account, but the page is only in Greek and does not explain how it applies to flats. Ask the EAC directly, and get the committee's decision in writing before an installer visits.

How do you choose a solar installer in Cyprus?

Choose an installer carefully. What you can check:

• Registration. Ask for the firm's registration and the names of the licensed designer and electrician who will sign the EAC forms. The RES Fund's participating traders list for the 2024–2025 grant scheme is undated, so use it only as a starting point and confirm each firm is still trading.
• EAC paperwork. The firm should handle the application and inspection and tell you in writing what is included.
• Honest sizing. Be wary of a quote that assumes you will export at the retail rate.
• After-sales. Ask who handles inverter faults and remote shut-offs.

What to do next

Gather 12 months of EAC bills first, because the size and payback of your system depend on your daytime use. Our guide to setting up utilities explains the electricity account that must be in your name, and our winter heating guide shows how a heat pump changes your load. Then get three written quotes, ask each for permit and EAC steps in writing, and check the Fund's website for any new battery or solar call.