EU solar on track for 68.1 GW in 2026 despite grid and policy drag

SolarPower Europe now expects the EU to install 68.1 GW of solar in 2026, according to data published by pv magazine on 8 September. The H1 figure of 33.8 GW shows deployment running broadly on pace with that target, though it implies a slight back-half slowdown relative to 2025's record 69.6 GW annual total. The industry body notes the outlook has improved since its December 2025 assessment, but has not withdrawn its caution on structural risks.

Three headwinds are explicitly flagged: grid connection bottlenecks, reduced public support in several member states, and broader policy uncertainty at the EU level. Any one of those could pull the final 2026 number below the 68.1 GW baseline. The 2.1% gap to the 2025 record is narrow enough that a modest acceleration in H2 permitting or grid approvals could close it.

On the project side, ENERPARC, a solar developer and operator, filed for insolvency, per Renews.biz. A provisional administrator has been appointed and operations continue. The filing adds a note of caution to the European utility-scale solar development pipeline at a moment when the broader capacity trend is otherwise resilient.