In the four months of this summer, solar power saved the EU 20 billion cubic meters of gas imports. However, the intermittency of solar energy means it must be complemented by other methods of energy production that can generate electricity at night, such as natural gas or coal-fired power plants.
Europe is currently facing a severe energy crisis, with insufficient supplies of natural gas, hydropower and nuclear power, only solar power thriving, setting new records in the summer months.
Sunny, hot weather and an increase in solar installations across the continent have contributed to record solar power generation in the EU, 28% higher than last summer, according to research by British environmental think tank Ember.
Between May and August, the EU generated 99.4 TWh of solar power. It accounts for 12% of the region's electricity generation, up from 9% last summer. It is worth noting, however, that the increase in the share of solar power is partly due to a decline in other energy supplies.
Paweł Czyżak, a senior analyst at Ember and one of the authors of the report, believes that with solar power already supplying more than 10% of electricity in the EU, this offers hope for a transition to clean energy and better energy security.
The highest share of solar power in all power generation is in the Netherlands at 23% and Germany at 19%.
Ember estimates that in the four months of this summer, solar power saved the EU 20 billion cubic meters of gas imports.
According to Dolf Gielen, director of technology and innovation at the International Renewable Energy Agency, the main reason for the record solar power generation is the installation of more solar farms in Europe:
European solar capacity is growing by about 15% a year, but the resulting increase in power generation could exceed 15% because the latest solar panels are more efficient.
Solar's share of total European electricity generation has also been affected by drought, which has curbed hydro and nuclear power generation in countries such as France.
Even so, the intermittent nature of solar energy means it has to be complemented by other means of energy production that can generate electricity at night, such as natural gas or coal-fired power plants. European countries are looking to improve their ability to store energy in response to the growth of renewable energy sources such as solar energy.
According to Ember, Poland's solar power generation has grown the most over the past five years, with a 26-fold increase between the summer of 2018 and the summer of 2022. In addition, Finland, Hungary, Lithuania and the Netherlands also saw significant increases in solar power generation.
Czyżak said:
The biggest takeaway from the rapid growth of solar power is that if we want to pay less to import fossil fuels, if we want to improve energy security, then renewable energy is the way forward.