A former Cypriot MEP has sparked fresh debate over Cyprus’ solar energy system after accusing authorities and energy officials of misleading the public about the benefits of household photovoltaics.
In a social media post that quickly drew attention online, Eleni Theocharous, who is also a doctor, said her home solar system is being shut down almost daily during peak sunlight hours – the very period when panels are supposed to produce the most electricity.
“Every day from 9.30 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon, my photovoltaic system is cut off and production drops to zero,” she wrote, adding, with a note of sarcasm, that the system seems to remain active “only when it’s cloudy.”
Theocharous said she had lost around 10,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity production over the past three years because of the shutdowns, yet keeps receiving power bills from the Electricity Authority of Cyprus.
She said her latest two-month bill came to €181.70 despite living alone. “If this is not deception of the people, then there is no reason for any reaction,” she wrote, criticizing what many homeowners increasingly describe as a flawed solar energy system.