In the week ending January 26, 2023, the solar photovoltaic (PV) energy landscape in Europe exhibited varied performance across different markets. Italy emerged as a standout performer with a remarkable increase of 41% in solar production, while France saw a more modest rise of 13%, marking its second consecutive week of growth. Conversely, the Iberian Peninsula and Germany faced significant declines in PV generation. Portugal and Spain reported decreases of 30% and 34%, respectively, continuing a downward trend for three weeks. Germany experienced the steepest drop at 64%, following a brief period of growth.
On January 27, Italy achieved an all-time record for photovoltaic energy production on a January day, generating 69 GWh. This milestone underscores Italy’s strengthening position in the renewable energy sector.
AleaSoft Energy Forecasting anticipates further increases in solar energy production for the week of February 2, particularly in Germany, Spain, and Italy, indicating potential recovery for these markets.
Turning to wind energy, the last week of January saw positive trends across most major European markets. Italy again led with a notable increase of 14%, while Portugal’s wind production rose by 10%. Both countries maintained upward momentum for a second consecutive week. Germany also reported a recovery with a 13% increase, reversing a three-week downward trend. In contrast, Spain’s wind energy output remained stable with a slight decrease of 2.5%, while France suffered a significant decline of 32%.
The Italian market recorded its third highest historical wind energy production for a January day on January 28, achieving 173 GWh. This follows previous records set on January 9 and 10, which were 182 GWh and 188 GWh, respectively.
AleaSoft’s forecasts for early February suggest that wind energy production is expected to rise in Germany, France, and Spain. However, both Portugal and Italy are projected to experience declines during this period.
