Solar power has saved the European Union €20 billion in gas imports since the start of the war in the Middle East, according to analysis by SolarPower Europe. Between 1 March and 15 July, installations across the EU avoided the purchase of billions of cubic metres of imported gas, reinforcing Europe's energy security while shielding consumers from higher fossil fuel costs.
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Over the 137-day period, solar delivered average savings of €146 million per day, more than France spends on defence each day, reflecting the growing value of secure, homegrown energy. For context, France's 2025 defence budget amounted to €52.3 billion, or around €143 million per day.
The security dividend
Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe, said: "Every megawatt-hour generated by solar power reduces our dependence on imported fossil fuels and makes Europe safer. This news follows solar becoming the EU's largest single source of electricity in June, supplying 25 percent of the bloc's power. It's a demonstration of the returns on Europe's investment in abundant, homegrown renewable energy resources. We can go further and faster. Deeper electrification, more renewable generation, and non-fossil flexibility solutions such as battery storage are the answer."
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An up-to-date tracker of solar-driven gas import savings is available on the SolarPower Europe homepage. (hcn)
