As Europe’s Energy System Faces Excessive Heat, Solar Power Comes To Rescue

A major increase in solar power generation in southern Europe played a leading role in averting energy shortages during the heatwaves of recent weeks when temperatures broke records and drove unprecedented demand for air conditioning.

Solar power is particularly suited to coping with summer heat as the sun’s radiation is strongest around the hottest part of the day, when electricity demand for cooling is also at its highest.

“The very significant growth in solar basically compensates for the peaks that are caused by air conditioning,” Kristian Ruby, secretary general of electricity industry group Eurelectric, said of the situation in Spain.

Spain and Greece are among the countries that have installed many more solar panels in the face of record high energy prices last year and the quest for increased energy security linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Spain added a record 4.5 gigawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity last year, resulting in solar energy output in July – typically one of the sunniest months – that was higher than any month to date, Spanish electricity grid operator Red Electrica said.

Data from Ember showed solar provided almost 24% of Spain’s electricity in July this year, up from 16% in July 2022.

When soaring temperatures and demand for cooling led to a peak in Sicilian power demand on July 24, nearly half of the excess demand – which totalled 1.3 GW – was covered by solar, Refinitiv data show. Sicily’s solar production last month was more than double that of July 2022.