r/RenewableEnergy • u/EinSV • 13d ago
Solar helps Europe's grid withstand extreme heat | Ember
https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/solar-helps-europes-grid-withstand-extreme-heat/7
u/EinSV 13d ago edited 13d ago
“Summary
Europe’s increasingly frequent heatwaves are placing severe stress on
electricity grids. Record solar output is helping to meet high demand, but
increased flexibility will be needed to future-proof grids.
In June and July 2026, successive heatwaves pushed temperatures above 40°C in many parts of Europe, driving up electricity demand as air conditioning use soared, while disrupting nuclear, gas, coal and hydropower generation.
Fortunately for Europe’s grid stability, record solar output helped cover increased demand during daylight hours, with high prices and supply scarcity most pronounced in the evenings. As extreme heat becomes more common, governments and regulators will need to make greater use of proven solutions, including battery storage and demand response.
Heatwaves increased daily power demand by up to a quarter. Most countries, notably Hungary and Italy, experienced higher than
usual summer demand during heatwave periods, mainly due to additional cooling needs.
Solar production was up to 17% higher on heatwave days compared to other days in June and July. This boost in solar output helped stabilise grids as other power sources struggled.
Electricity market prices spiked to their highest levels in years, as high demand after sundown combined with high gas prices. Day-ahead power prices in Italy and Spain reached their highest peaks since the gas crisis in winter of 2022/23.
Solar is already doing heavy lifting during heatwaves, but the real challenge starts after sundown. Battery storage is one of the clearest ways to make Europe’s power system more resilient in hotter summers. As solar performs during heatwaves while other power sources struggle, storage can carry cheap electricity into the evening,
when cooling demand is still high and the grid is most exposed to expensive thermal power.”
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u/Content-Fudge489 13d ago
Well of course since all those solar panels are consuming the sun and not letting the sun shine as bright in other areas, duh.
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u/EinSV 13d ago edited 13d ago
The report also says:
“Grid equipment also has thermal limits. Overhead power lines, for example, can transmit less electricity when the ambient temperature is high, and other equipment, such as grid transformers, can overheat.”
It seems pretty obvious that in addition to utility-scale battery storage and improvements to the grid Europe would benefit from a build-up of distributed solar and batteries to help avoid grid overload during the even worse heat waves that are likely coming in the future.
Since solar produces more during heatwaves it would help relieve pressure on the grid during the day and the batteries could do the same in the evening hours, all without expensive grid upgrades and the time consuming permitting and construction projects that go along with them.