Solar helped Europe's grids through summer heat waves
On heat-wave days in June and July, solar generation in France and Hungary was 17% higher than on other days in those months, according to energy think tank Ember. At the same time, five UK gas plants reduced their output by a combined 2.5 GW as heat hampered cooling, while low river levels curtailed nuclear generation elsewhere in Europe. Solar helped meet daytime demand, but power prices still rose in the early evening as the sun set and cooling demand stayed high. Batteries can store some of the day's solar output for those evening hours. Shifting electricity use away from the busiest hours can also ease demand on the grid.On heat-wave days in June and July, solar generation in France and Hungary was 17% higher than on other days in those months, according to energy think tank Ember. At the same time, five UK gas plants reduced their output by a combined 2.5 GW as heat hampered cooling, while low river levels curtailed nuclear generation elsewhere in Europe. Solar helped meet daytime demand, but power prices still rose in the early evening as the sun set and cooling demand stayed high. Batteries can store some of the day's solar output for those evening hours. Shifting electricity use away from the busiest hours can also ease demand on the grid.Expert summary pending. Showing the newcomer version.