Europe Solar Output Jumps 17% as Heatwaves Lift Power Demand by Up to 28%
Updated
Updated · Euronews · Aug 14
Europe Solar Output Jumps 17% as Heatwaves Lift Power Demand by Up to 28%
3 articles · Updated · Euronews · Aug 14
Summary
Ember found solar generation on European heatwave days in June and July rose by up to 17%, helping grids absorb cooling-driven demand spikes during the latest hot spells.
Italy's daily electricity demand climbed as much as 28% in late June, with Hungary up 23%, France 14% and Spain 13%; solar was the only major power source to perform better than usual.
After sundown, the strain shifted to costlier backup supply: average daily power prices during the late-June and early-July heatwaves jumped 119% in Hungary, 44% in France, 13% in Italy and 7% in Spain.
The heat also weakened other generation sources, curbing Hungarian nuclear output and pressuring Alpine hydropower, while low river levels forced cuts at a Polish coal plant.
Ember said the pattern strengthens the case for battery storage, which could shift cheap daytime solar into the evening as climate change drives hotter European summers.