Cost & payback

Self-consumption with solar: up to 30% cheaper energy for businesses

With the ministerial decision on self-consumption now issued, Stavros Papastavrou estimates that businesses can cut their energy costs by 20 to 30%. Here is what he said and what it means if you are weighing up solar.

What the minister said about the new decision

After the ministerial decision simplifying the self-consumption regime was issued, the Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, discussed the changes in an interview on the ANT1 television channel. He stressed the need to use every available means of saving energy and noted that the new framework makes it easier both to install solar with a battery and to fit balcony solar.

For balcony solar, installation begins once DEDDIE issues the technical specifications that have to be met, which is scheduled for no later than 31 October 2026. All the changes are set out in detail in our article on the new self-consumption framework.

A 20-30% reduction for businesses

The most interesting point of the interview concerns businesses. According to the minister, those that take up self-consumption can reduce their energy costs by 20 to 30%.

Mr Papastavrou underlined that the country needs a roadmap for a lasting reduction in energy costs rather than a temporary one, and tied it to energy security and self-sufficiency. Greater penetration of renewables, batteries and electricity interconnections all contribute in that direction, he said.

Subsidies and natural gas

Asked whether subsidies would be provided, the minister avoided a specific answer and said only that the government would support society whenever that is needed.

On Europe’s natural gas supply, he gave an assurance that Greece is not at risk. He warned, however, that the situation of 2022 must not be repeated, when every European country moved on its own to refill its stocks and prices rose further still.

An engineer’s view: where the 20-30% actually comes from

The figure the minister quoted is a general estimate. For any individual business, the real benefit depends mostly on how well its consumption overlaps with the hours the solar system is generating. Businesses that operate mainly during the day, such as offices, shops, cold stores or small production units, consume a large share of what they generate on site and see the greatest benefit.

Where consumption shifts towards the evening or night, the battery is what matters: it holds the midday surplus instead of exporting it to the grid when market prices are usually low, and releases it when the business needs it. The new framework also allows a battery without solar panels, charging from the grid in cheap hours. That is an option for businesses on a dynamic tariff or without a suitable roof.

That is why, before any investment, we start from the business’s consumption profile. An energy study shows what share of consumption can be covered, whether a battery is worth adding and how many years the investment takes to pay back. See also how we handle solar panel installation for businesses and industry.

Source: energypress.gr, Papastavrou: We are simplifying the self-consumption regime (15 September 2026, in Greek). The report was published without a journalist byline, by the energypress.gr newsroom, and is based on the minister’s interview on ANT1.