The energy landscape in Europe has seen significant fluctuations in solar and wind energy production as of late February. Notably, the week of February 23 marked a substantial increase in solar photovoltaic (PV) energy output across key European markets, with Germany leading the charge with an impressive 132% rise compared to the previous week. France followed closely with a 52% increase, while Italy recorded a modest growth of 5.3%, extending its upward trend to five consecutive weeks. In the Iberian region, solar PV production surged by 14% in Portugal and 24% in Spain, contributing to a fourth consecutive week of increases for Germany, Spain, and Portugal.
Several markets achieved remarkable milestones during this period, setting records for daily solar PV production in February. On February 23, Spain reached its second highest daily output for the month at 148 GWh. A few days later, on February 26, both Italy and France established all-time daily records for February with productions of 110 GWh and 92 GWh, respectively. Additionally, Portugal’s production peaked at 20 GWh, marking its second highest daily output for February. The German market also set a new record on February 27, generating 251 GWh of solar PV energy.
Looking ahead to the first week of March, forecasts from AleaSoft Energy indicate an anticipated increase in solar production within the German and Italian markets. Conversely, a decline is expected in the Spanish market, reflecting ongoing variability in regional energy outputs.
<pIn contrast to the positive trends observed in solar energy, wind energy production experienced notable declines during the last week of February across major European markets. The Italian market faced the steepest drop at 78%, reversing its previous week's gains. Spain and France also saw significant decreases of 58% and 38%, respectively. Portugal recorded a smaller decline of 14%, while Germany noted a decrease of 15%. The Iberian Peninsula continued to experience downward trends for a second consecutive week, with France reversing its three-week upward trajectory.
As forecasts for the week of March 2 emerge, AleaSoft projects that wind energy production will rebound in both the Iberian and Italian markets. However, declines are anticipated to persist in the French and German markets, highlighting ongoing challenges within these sectors.
