Europe's Power Grids Prepare for Solar Eclipse with Backup Measures

Europe's electricity network operators have put in place backup generation and grid-balancing measures to handle an expected drop in solar power during Wednesday's solar eclipse, according to the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E).

The eclipse, which will occur between 17:15 and 19:30 GMT, will see the moon pass in front of the sun, reducing solar panel output across the continent. ENTSO-E data indicates that solar generation could fall by up to 9.7 gigawatts (GW) across Europe, with Spain and Portugal accounting for about 5 GW of that reduction.

Grid operators in affected countries, including Germany, France, Ireland, and Northern Ireland, have confirmed they have measures ready to maintain supply. These include temporarily increasing output from gas and coal plants and adjusting the automatic Frequency Restoration Reserve, a system that rapidly adjusts power output to keep grid frequency stable.

Solar energy currently supplies around 13% of the EU's electricity, and its role is especially important in summer when air conditioning demand peaks, particularly in southern Europe. However, summer also brings other strains on the system, such as heatwaves and low river levels, which have recently forced nuclear plants in Romania and Hungary to shut down.

Some operators have been preparing for over a year, using models to predict the impact of shadow and light on generation. Operators in France, Spain, and Britain said they expect no disruption, partly because the eclipse occurs in the evening when solar output is naturally lower. For instance, France anticipates losing up to 1.8 GW of solar power, just 6% of its 30 GW capacity.