A Solar Eclipse Will Flip the Off Switch on Europe’s Solar Farms

Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.HomePMN BusinessA Solar Eclipse Will Flip the Off Switch on Europe's Solar FarmsNight will fall on Europe’s power system a bit early Wednesday evening, as an eclipse is set to block solar generation across parts of the UK and western Europe.Author of the article:William Mathis and Eamon Akil Farhat You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.j{z)mdi2k}m2684]]o5gd)oj_media_dl_1.png NASA(Bloomberg) — Night will fall on Europe’s power system a bit early Wednesday evening, as an eclipse is set to block solar generation across parts of the UK and western Europe.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountWhile the rare celestial event is expected to draw thousands of tourists eager to witness the eclipse from northern Spain, it will make for a more complicated afternoon than usual for technicians operating the region’s increasingly solar-reliant power grids.Fortunately, there’s been plenty of time to prepare. A solar eclipse, though rare, can be predicted centuries in advance. And this time, the impact on solar generation will be fairly muted. The sun will be nearing the horizon when the moon obscures it, meaning alternative sources of generation will already be ramping up to meet evening demand.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againStill, the eclipse could knock out a meaningful amount of solar generation, leaving the shortfall to be covered by other sources such as natural gas, hydropower and nuclear plants.“The effects are quite far-reaching geographically, all the way across Europe,” said Ryan Carson from the energy forecasting team at the UK’s National Energy System Operator. “We have been analyzing this since about one year ago.”For the UK, the eclipse will hit around 8 p.m. and likely reduce generation by a bit over 1 gigawatt, with 95% of the sun obscured, Carson said in a presentation last week. Across Europe, the impacts will vary, depending on the time of the eclipse, its extent and the size of the country’s solar fleet. Overall in Europe, if the conditions are clear, solar output could decrease by about 9.7 gigawatts starting at about 7:15 p.m., according to a forecast from the Entso-e group of European power grid operators. In Spain, where the eclipse will be total, solar farm operators say they’re well prepared and coordinating closely with Red Electrica, the nation’s power-system operator.Acciona, which has some solar assets directly in the path of the eclipse, does not expect a major impact because the event coincides with sunset, when solar output is already declining. The company has nonetheless incorporated the eclipse into its generation forecasts.“Everything is included in our models,” said Manuel Calleja, Head of Centers at Acciona Energía. “We include the eclipse in the forecast that we share with the TSO, so they know in advance how photovoltaic production is going to reduce.” He said flexible resources such as hydroelectric plants and combined-cycle gas turbines would be available to make up for any temporary loss of solar output, though those plants would typically be running or preparing to meet Spain’s evening peak in electricity demand.While this eclipse will have a relatively minor impact, another is headed for Europe next summer — and that one will strike in the late morning, when solar can be the biggest source of electricity across much of the continent.This advertisement has not loaded yet.Notice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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