BRUSSELS, Belgium (15 July 2026): 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, solar installations across the EU avoided the purchase of billions of cubic meters of imported gas, reinforcing Europe's energy security while shielding consumers from higher fossil fuel costs.
Over the 137-day period, solar delivered average savings of €146 million per day. This is more than France spends on defence each day, reflecting the growing value of secure, homegrown energy. France’s 2025 defence budget amounts to €52.3 billion, or around €143 million per day.
Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe (she/her) said: “Every megawatt-hour generated by solar power reduces our dependence on imported fossil fuels and makes Europe safer.
This news follows solar becoming EU’s largest single source of electricity in June, supplying 25% 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. Combined, they can shield Europe from the risk of future fossil fuel price shocks, and that’s the route to long-term energy security in the EU.”
An up-to-date tracker of solar-driven gas import savings is available on the SolarPower Europe homepage.
Notes
- For more on the role of solar and storage in strengthening European energy security, see SolarPower Europe's report Solar and Storage for EU Energy Security.
- Source for French defence spending figures available here.
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