Solar Power Comes to the Rescue Amid Scorching Heatwaves in Southern Europe

Wednesday - August 9 2023, 03:59 UTC - 1 year ago

Solar power production in southern Europe played a crucial role in mitigating the crisis caused by heatwaves. Spain and Greece are among the countries that have installed more solar panels and are also among the worst affected regions in Europe due to climate change. Solar energy output in Spain and Sicily surpassed any previous month on record and solar photovoltaics covered 3.5GW of the total 10.35 during peak demand on July 24 in Greece. The Greek government is reconstructing five eco-villages in the region of Western Macedonia with 4,000 solar panels, 1,000 lights, and installation of beekeeper facilities.

In June, surpassing a global temperature threshold directly impacted southern European nations, triggering scorching heatwaves that brought about severe consequences, including wildfires and droughts leading to deaths. However, solar power production in southern Europe played a crucial role in mitigating the crisis to some extent. Solar power compensated for the energy shortage amid the heatwaves of past weeks, which saw record-breaking temperatures and an unparalleled surge in air conditioning demand, Reuters reported. Additionally, solar power is gained best during summer as the sun’s radiation is strongest around the hottest part of the day. The energy generation met the electricity demand for cooling and contributed to energy security.

Solar aiding Spain .

Alluding to the extreme heat situation in Spain, Kristian Ruby, secretary general of the electricity industry group Eurelectric, stated: "The very significant growth in solar basically compensates for the peaks that are caused by air conditioning." According to Reuters, 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 and Greece are also among the worst affected regions in Europe due to climate change. EU Copernicus documented that the Land Surface Temperature (LST) in some Extremadura (Spain) areas exceeded 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) on July 11, 2023. Red Electrica, a Spanish electricity grid operator, said Spain set a new record by installing 4.5 gigawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity last year. This resulted in a higher solar energy output in July – a month renowned for its abundant sunshine. The energy output surpassed any previous month on record.

Furthermore, Reuters noted, "data from Ember showed solar provided almost 24 percent of Spain's electricity in July this year, up from 16 percent in July 2022." .

Sicily solar output .

Past experiences in Sicily have shown that solar covered the peak in cooling demand during soaring temperatures on July 24, making up to nearly half of the excess demand – 1.3 GW, according to Refinitiv data. Sicilian solar production more than doubled last month compared to July 2022. Refinitiv power analyst Nathalie Gerl said the system stability impact would have been much worse without the additional solar support. However, solar cannot hold grids under severe strain, but higher solar output helped satisfy demand in both Sicily and Greece.

Powering Greece .

In Greece, solar photovoltaics covered 3.5GW of the total 10.35 during peak demand on July 24, the IPTO grid operator said. It has also been observed that another factor contributed to keeping Europe’s energy systems running this summer – overall power demand has been relatively low. Simone Tagliapietra, a senior fellow at think tank Bruegel stated, "Our energy systems are indeed not designed to cope with such situations." While wildfires in Greece destroyed an area larger than London in July, Greek Civil Protection and Climate Crisis Minister Vassilis Kikilias annouced that the use of 4,000 solar panels, 1,000 lights, and installation of beekeeper facilities will reconstruct five eco-villages in the region of Western Macedonia.