Solar Power Expands Across Europe’s Far North

Falling costs are making solar power viable across northern Europe, helping Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom produce more clean energy at home.

“The question isn’t whether solar works this far north anymore,” said Warren Campbell, chief executive officer of Swedish solar developer Alight. “It’s how much we’re going to build.”

Nordic countries added more solar than wind capacity for the first time in 2025, while equipment costs across Europe have fallen 30% since 2021. Finland reached its end-of-decade solar target six years early, and Sweden reached its original 2030 target in 2023. Developers are proposing another 300 megawatts in Finnish Lapland and around 600 megawatts in northern Sweden, while nearly 2,000 homes in the Scottish Highlands and islands installed panels in six months. Solar is also expanding in the Faroe Islands, where more than 60 installations now complement wind and hydropower during summer.