Extreme weather in Spain ‘highlights need for interconnected European grid’, Solargis says

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
A 50MW solar PV plant in Spain. Image: Opdenergy.

A steep decline in solar irradiance in Spain earlier this year highlights the need for an interconnected European grid and increased investments in forecasting, according to PV data firm Solargis.

Spain posted a 50% decrease in solar irradiance in March 2022 compared with long-term averages as a result of high rainfall and a Saharan dust cloud that swept across the Mediterranean, Solargis said. By comparison, Germany and the Balkans had around 45% higher levels of solar irradiance in March compared to long-term averages.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

These significant deviations from average values “pose a challenge to project developers and investors seeking to accurately calculate return on investment and support integration of solar into the continent’s grid”, Solargis said.

The firm noted that improved grids spanning countries will enable regional utilities to compensate for localised variability through clean energy sources rather than reverting to fossil fuels.

“By looking at Europe as an interconnected, rather than country-specific, energy grid, there is the potential to balance out the market,” said Marcel Suri, CEO at Solargis.

“The digitalisation of our grids coupled with increased interconnectivity ultimately will allow larger generators to react faster and more efficiently to regional variability of renewables.”

Solargis is part of a European Union-funded initiative that aims to support the high penetration of PV generation in grids with improved stability, smart communication between stakeholders and increased knowledge of PV fleet management.

Dubbed SERENDI-PV, the initiative was launched in 2021 and has a €12 million (US$12.7 million) budget. Solargis is working with others in the project to highlight the variability challenge in key markets to best support policymakers as it encourages a coordinated approach to interconnection between countries.

Suri added: “Through our initiative with SERENDI-PV, we are working towards improving short-term forecasting of aggregated PV power, energy evaluation and forecasting in the presence of snow, dust and extreme weather.”

Research published earlier this year from Solargis revealed significant deviations in average irradiance levels across North America, India and Australia.

2 December 2025
Málaga, Spain
Understanding PV module supply to the European market in 2026. PV ModuleTech Europe 2025 is a two-day conference that tackles these challenges directly, with an agenda that addresses all aspects of module supplier selection; product availability, technology offerings, traceability of supply-chain, factory auditing, module testing and reliability, and company bankability.

Read Next

Premium
October 13, 2025
Brett Beattie of Castillo Engineering looks at some of the key land grading work that can make multimillion-dollar differences to projects.
October 9, 2025
Germany has awarded contracts to 490MW of solar-plus-storage projects in its latest “innovation” auction for co-located renewables.
October 8, 2025
Australia's NEM achieved a new minimum operational demand record of 9,666MW, marking a 4% decrease from the previous record.
October 6, 2025
German solar inverter manufacturer SMA Solar will cut 350 jobs in 2026 as it adapts to the “weak” residential PV market.
October 6, 2025
An expert panel has identified a series of grid failures that led to April's unprecedented power outage in Spain and Portugal, ruling out renewables as the leading cause.
October 2, 2025
Spanish waste management company Trabede and energy firm Greening Group will build a solar module recycling plant in Granada, Andalusia, Spain.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK