Cyprus Approves €1 Million Solar Water Heating Subsidy Scheme

Cyprus is rolling out a new €1 million subsidy program to help households install or replace solar water heating systems, as the government seeks to lower energy costs and expand the use of renewable energy.

Grant Support Of Up To €900

Approved by the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, the Grant Scheme for Solar Hot Water Systems in Homes 2026 will provide subsidies ranging from €500 to €900, depending on the applicant’s category and the property’s location.

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Energy, Commerce and Industry Minister Michalis Damianou said the scheme aims to encourage households to install or upgrade solar water heating systems, helping reduce energy bills while making greater use of Cyprus’ abundant solar resources.

Targeting Lower Costs And Higher Efficiency

The program will be administered by the Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Conservation Fund and will cover complete solar water heating systems that meet the required technical specifications.

To qualify, installations must be carried out by contractors included in the official registry, while all equipment must appear on the list of approved products. According to the Ministry of Energy, these requirements are intended to ensure the scheme is implemented correctly and to minimise the risk of rejected applications.

Who Qualifies For The Highest Support

The standard subsidy is set at €500. Households in mountain areas will be eligible for grants of up to €900, while vulnerable households will also qualify for the maximum level of support.

Applications Open Until December 2026

Applications will remain open until December 20, 2026, or until 2,000 applications have been submitted, whichever comes first. Damianou encouraged eligible households to review the scheme’s conditions and apply while funding remains available.

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Only 1% Of Cyprus Farms Use Precision Farming Technologies

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 24, 2026

Cyprus remains one of the European Union’s least digitised agricultural economies, with just 1% of farms using precision farming technologies in 2023, according to Eurostat.

The findings come as the EU continues to encourage the adoption of digital tools aimed at improving agricultural productivity, efficiency and sustainability.

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Internet Access Expands, But Digital Uptake Lags

Internet access has improved across the bloc, although adoption remains uneven. Eurostat found that 43% of EU farms had internet access in 2023, with northern and central European countries leading the way.

Denmark, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, the Czech Republic and Austria all reported internet access rates above 90%.

Greater connectivity, however, has not translated into widespread digital adoption. Farm management information systems, which help farmers manage day-to-day operations, were used by only about 11% of EU farms. France was a notable exception, with around 60% of farms using the technology.

Precision Farming Concentrated In Larger Operations

Robotics adoption also remained relatively limited, with only about 7% of EU farms using robotic technologies. Overall, around 18% of farms with utilised agricultural area employed at least one precision farming technology or practice in 2023.

These included robotics for plant protection, band spraying, variable-rate application, precision crop monitoring and soil analysis. Despite representing fewer than one in five farms, these holdings accounted for around 44% of the EU’s utilised agricultural area.

The figures suggest that precision farming remains concentrated among larger agricultural businesses, where investment in digital technologies is typically easier to support.

Cyprus Lags Behind EU Leaders

Luxembourg, Finland and Estonia recorded the highest shares of utilised agricultural area managed by farms using precision farming technologies, each exceeding 75%.

At the other end of the ranking, Cyprus recorded just 1%, while Greece and Romania reported between 10% and 15%. The results indicate that Cyprus remains at an early stage of digital adoption in agriculture, even as precision farming becomes more widespread across parts of the European Union.

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