In a new weekly update for pv magazineSolcast, a DNV company, reports that an increase in sunshine has resulted in record-breaking solar generation in several European countries in August, with this trend set to continue for the rest of the month.
A high-pressure system centered over France, Spain and the Atlantic Ocean led to 20% more insolation than normal across Europe in August. The increase in sunshine has resulted in record-breaking solar generation in several European countries, with networks setting new highs for the month. According to analysis using the Solcast APIThis trend is expected to continue for the rest of August, continuing to increase solar energy production across the continent.
On August 5, France recorded its highest-ever solar energy production in a single day, as clear skies brought more radiation due to the high-pressure system stretching over France and the Atlantic Ocean and an unusually dry atmosphere in the region. Clear skies enabled optimal solar conditions, which, combined with the 30% expansion of the French solar market by 2023, resulted in a generation peak of more than 15 GW for the first time.
Due to seasonal changes and a shorter day, there is generally less radiation in August than in June and July. However, due to cloudier than normal June and July and particularly clear conditions in August, August 5 was one of France’s sunniest days this year, with average irradiation levels of more than 6.5 kWh/m² across almost the entire country. While days earlier this year approached this level, national solar power generation had not exceeded 15 GW until August 5. The accurate forecasts at the time of publication suggest the record could be broken again on Tuesday, August 27.
Other European markets also saw the highest solar energy generation in August, due to increased irradiation and continued growth in solar capacity. Regions from Spain to the Balkans benefited from insolation levels 10% to 20% above the August average. This widespread increase in solar energy generation is mainly due to capacity increases rather than record-breaking irradiation. In Germany, industrial and commercial solar installations increased by more than 80% in the first months of 2024 compared to previous years, while Italy added 1.7 GW of new solar capacity in the first quarter of 2024, almost four times as much as in 2023.
Looking ahead, forecasts point to a strong finish to August for photovoltaic power generation. The last week of the month is expected to bring clearer skies, continuing favorable conditions for solar energy. Solar power generation in European networks is expected to be around 30% higher than in the same period in previous years, even after adjusting for recent capacity growth. This suggests that sunny conditions and high solar production will continue, making August a standout month for solar energy across the continent.
Solcast produces these figures by tracking clouds and aerosols worldwide at a resolution of 1-2 km, using proprietary satellite data AI/ML algorithms. This data is used to drive irradiance models, allowing Solcast to calculate high-resolution irradiance, with a typical deviation of less than 2%, as well as cloud tracking predictions. This data is used by more than 300 companies that manage more than 150 GW of solar energy worldwide.
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