Europe is currently facing a severe energy crisis, with gas, hydro and nuclear power all in short supply, except for solar power, which has been a standout, setting new records in the summer months. According to a study by Ember, a British environmental think tank, sunny, hot weather and an increase in solar installations across the continent contributed to solar's record electricity production in the EU, 28 percent higher than last summer.

 

 

Between May and August, the EU generated 99.4 terawatt-hours of solar power. It accounted for 12 percent of the region's electricity generation, up from 9 percent last summer. It's worth noting, however, that the boost in solar power's share is partly due to a decline in other energy supplies.

 

Paweł Czyżak, senior analyst at Ember and one of the report's authors, believes that with solar already able to supply more than 10 percent of electricity in the EU, this holds promise for a transition to clean energy and better energy security.

 

 

The highest share of solar energy in all forms of electricity generation is in the Netherlands, at 23 percent, and in Germany, at 19 percent.

 

Ember estimates that solar power saved the EU 20 billion cubic meters of natural gas imports during the four months of this summer.

 

 

DolfGielen, head of technology and innovation at the International Renewable Energy Agency, said the main reason for the record solar power is the installation of more solar farms in Europe.

 

European solar capacity is growing by about 15 percent a year, but the resulting increase in electricity generation is likely to be more than 15 percent because of the higher efficiency of the latest solar panels.

 

Solar's share of Europe's total power generation has also been affected by the drought, which has curbed hydro and nuclear power generation in countries such as France.

 

Even so, solar's intermittent nature means it must be complemented by other forms 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.

 

Poland has seen the largest increase in solar power generation in the past five years, growing 26 times between summer 2018 and summer 2022, Ember said. In addition, Finland, Hungary, Lithuania and the Netherlands have also seen significant growth in solar power generation.

 

The biggest takeaway from the rapid growth in solar power is that renewable energy is the way forward if we want to pay less for imported fossil fuels and if we want to improve energy security, Czyżak said.