Turning to the sun: Solar growth in Central Europe exceeds all expectations as it quickly becomes the continent’s battery hub

> Central Europe’s (CE) solar power generation has more than doubled the EU average growth rate over the past five years, despite the region’s modest solar potential, below average GDP and political hurdles. Record-breaking summer months in 2025 saw solar supply over 40% of Hungary’s electricity and over one-fifth in Poland. To maintain momentum, CE countries need to match solar growth with grid flexibility and storage, building on their leading role in battery manufacturing.

> Once heavily dependent on coal, Central European countries are seeing their energy identity reshaped by a rapid solar surge. In the Czech Republic, coal’s share in power generation fell by 7 percentage points over the past five years, and the government moved its coal phase-out date **forward** from 2038 to 2033. In Hungary, coal’s share **halved** from 12% to 6% between 2019 and 2024, accompanied by a **drop in gas** from 25% to 19%. Poland generated **more electricity from renewables** than coal for the first time in June 2025, while the closure of Slovakia’s last dedicated coal-fired power plant in 2024 reduced its coal use in electricity generation to a minimum, now limited to co-generation plants. The success of these four countries in the growth rate of solar energy stands out as a significant example – not only for the European Union, but also for developing economies with energy systems still reliant on coal, offering a blueprint for emerging economies across the globe.

> By 2030, renewables are expected to account for 31% of electricity generation in Czechia, 42% in Hungary, 51% in Poland, and 26% in Slovakia. Although declining solar costs and high energy prices may continue to drive solar installations, closing the gap with EU targets will require **stronger** political commitment.

> Battery roll-out in Central Europe could leverage the region’s flourishing battery manufacturing sector. In 2021 Hungary made up around a fifth of the EU’s battery manufacturing value added, second only to Germany, and as of January 2025 hosted nearly 40% of the bloc’s cell assembly capacity. Poland is already among the world’s top three battery exporters and has one of Europe’s biggest gigafactory pipelines. Without clear renewable deployment signals, Central Europe **risks fragmenting** its clean-tech value chain and **deterring** long-term investment.

Fun fact: the conservatives hate this so much, they’re trying to stop this development, or at least slow it down, and in Germanz they’re labeling people with solar on their roof parasites. 

Isn’t the future great?