If you install solar without a battery in a congested area, you may lose more than half of its output.
If your area is congested, meaning the grid cannot take any more solar energy, new solar panels usually connect only if they never send energy to the grid. In the example we worked out, a home without a battery loses 53.6% of its output and saves €469 a year.
With a 5 kWh battery the same home saves €849 a year, almost double. At today's battery prices, though, you do not earn back what the battery costs within 15 years.
In a congested area, new solar usually connects only with permanent zero export
- The decision: the DSO judges each application separately and may turn it down.1
- The DSO's map of congested areas: it uses data from October 2026 and is only indicative.
- The inverter: when the panels could produce more than you are using, it limits production to what you use.2, 3
- The cost: you pay for the zero-export equipment and the DSO's inspection. We did not find how much they cost.2
- Curtailment: when the grid needs it, the DSO can limit or switch off even a system with permanent zero export. The command goes through the remote-control receiver.2
- It does not change later: if you connect this way, you cannot go back to a connection that lets you send energy.2
How to find out whether your area is congested →
Without a battery, the panels produce only what you use at that moment
The size in each row is the one the calculator suggests, and without a battery it drops to 2.25 kW.
| Area | System | Saving a year | Output lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not congested | 3.15 kW solar | €1,224 | 11.7% to curtailment |
| Congested | 2.25 kW solar | €469 | 53.6% |
| Congested | 2.25 kW solar and 5 kWh battery | €849 | 11.9% |
| Congested | 3.15 kW solar and 10 kWh battery | €1,196 | 10.0% |
We have not deducted the cost of the zero-export equipment and the inspection from these amounts. With zero export, curtailment is not included in the calculation.
- Netting: since you send nothing to the grid, there is nothing to offset. For energy that is never produced you get no credit and no payment. You pay your tariff's full price for every unit you buy.
- Earning back the solar: in our example, the home earns back what the panels cost in about 12 years.4
With a battery, you use in the evening the energy left over at midday
- 5 kWh battery: the calculator prices it at €4,750, includes its upkeep and wear, and assumes the price of electricity falls 2% a year.4
- 10 kWh battery: with 3.15 kW of solar, the home saves €1,196 a year, almost as much as it would in an area that is not congested. The calculator prices it at €8,000, and you do not earn back its cost within 15 years either.4
- The limit: if your home is three-phase with a 3×30 A fuse, you can have up to 10.4 kW of solar. The same limit applies to the battery's power, and there is no limit on how many kWh it stores.1
You do not need a battery to connect. But if you want to add panels or a battery later, you need a new application and DSO approval. So decide from the start whether you will add a battery, and then choose the panel size based on how much you use during the day.1
For businesses in a congested area too, new solar usually connects only with permanent zero export. An office, a shop or a workshop that works during the day loses little energy. A restaurant that works mostly in the evening loses more, so a battery helps it more.
Work out what you save with solar and a battery →
Is a home battery worth it today? →
Connection rules for business solar →
Keep reading
If your solar panels send energy to the grid, a battery does not save you more today.
If your solar panels send energy to the grid, under EAC's current Net Billing contract a battery does not save you more. See the calculator's figures and when a battery is worth considering.
SolarWith occasional zero export, you can use the power from your solar panels on curtailment days too.
With occasional zero export, a curtailment first stops only your export, and your home can keep using its own solar. You apply in writing to EAC's DSO and pay for the equipment; the DSO can still cut production off.
SolarVAT on home solar has fallen from 19% to 9%.
Since 16 October 2026, home solar panels in Cyprus carry 9% VAT instead of 19%. On a €5,000 system you save €500. The order does not mention batteries or installation.
References
- EAC's DSO, Connection guide for active customers and self-consumers, 15 May 2026, sections 4.1 and 4.7. EAC (PDF, in Greek)
- EAC's DSO, Technical guide for RES systems up to 15 MWp, edition 2026.1, 15 May 2026, sections 6.3.3.4 and 6.3.3.5. EAC (PDF, in Greek)
- EAC's DSO, Technical guide for connecting storage systems, edition 2026.3, 15 July 2026, section 2. EAC (PDF, in Greek)
- Switch home solar calculator, assumptions of 22 October 2026. switch.cy
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This guide is for information only and is not technical, financial or legal advice. The figures are an example from the Switch calculator. Connection rules may change. Switch is not responsible for decisions anyone makes based on this guide.