Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia’s combined solar generation grew at twice the EU average rate between 2019 and 2024, according to analysis by energy think tank Ember.
Ember said in its latest report that the four central European nations increased their cumulative solar generation over the five-year period nearly sixfold, from 5 TWh to 29 TWh. This compares to a 2.5-fold increase across the EU, which went from 125 TWh in 2019 to 308 TWh in 2024.
National-level analysis highlights that progress has not been equal across the region. Poland boasts the largest cumulative solar capacity, surpassing 23 GW according to Ember’s report, buoyed by over 1.5 million solar prosumers as of June this year. Meanwhile Hungary enjoyed the largest solar boom over the five year study period, with solar’s share of electricity generation in the country jumping from 4% in 2019 to nearly 25% in 2024. As of July this year, cumulative capacity had exceeded 8 GW.
Czechia almost doubled its solar output over the five-year period studied, Ember adds, while Slovakia lags behind in terms of cumulative solar capacity due to unfavorable policies and high grid connection costs.
Ember’s analysis found that in June this year, Czechia, Hungary and Poland all recorded their highest-ever share of solar in their power mix. Hungary reached a high of 42%, Poland recorded 22% and Czechia hit 14.7%.
Each of the four nations are making strides to reduce dependency on coal, Ember's report finds. Hungary halved its coal share from 12% to 6% between 2019 and 2024, while Slovakia closed its last dedicated coal-fire power plant last year. Czechia’s coal share in power generation fell by 7% over the past five years, while its coal phase-out date was moved forward five years to 2033, and Poland generated more electricity from renewables than coal for the first time in June 2025.
“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,” said Ember.
Despite outpacing the European Union’s solar growth rate, each country's projected share of renewables in electricity generation by 2030 remains below the EU average of 66%. Most recent figures project a 31% share of renewables in electricity generation in Czechia, compared to 42% in Hungary, 51% in Poland and 26% in Slovakia.
Ember said these lower thresholds risk a slowdown in the region's solar progress and says closing the gap on the EU average will require stronger political commitment.
The think tank also highlighted flexible grids and battery storage as key to continuing Central Europe's solar success. As of August 2025, Ember found the four nations had deployed just 0.1 GW of large-scale batteries, less than 2% of the EU's installed capacity. While Poland has 7.3 GW of grid-scale battery projects in the pipeline, the other three nations currently have minimal storage project pipelines.
“Central Europe demonstrates that coal-dependent nations can change course and achieve notable renewable gains,” said Ember Policy Adviser Tatiana Mindelkovà. “With the right policies, the region could turn this momentum into a competitive edge and even surpass its Western neighbors in clean energy deployment.”
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