Eastern Europe sees solar gains as Western regions experience setbacks

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that February saw a stark contrast in solar conditions across Europe, with eastern regions benefiting from strong irradiance while western and southern areas faced setbacks due to storms and persistent cloud cover.

February saw a stark contrast in solar conditions across Europe, with eastern regions benefiting from strong irradiance while western and southern areas faced setbacks due to storms and persistent cloud cover, according to analysis using the Solcast API. High pressure over Eastern Europe meant clear skies and boosted PV generation, while Storm Coral and a series of Atlantic low-pressure systems reduced irradiance in the Mediterranean and parts of Western Europe.

Solar irradiance in Eastern Europe was significantly above average, particularly in Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and southern Poland. With irradiance levels up to one-third higher than usual, rising from the typical 1.7 kWh/day to around 2.3 kWh/day, these regions
experienced unseasonably clear conditions ideal for PV generation. The primary driver was a dominant high-pressure system that established itself over Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, limiting cloud cover and promoting stable, sunny conditions. However, the prolonged dry weather also exacerbated drought conditions, especially in Ukraine. While southern Norway and Sweden also saw above-average irradiance, their northern latitudes meant overall PV production remained low despite the clear conditions.

In contrast, Greece and Turkey faced disruptions to solar generation due to Storm Coral, which started on February 18. Developing over Turkey, the storm generated a strong cold front that swept across Greece and the Mediterranean before moving south into Israel. This
system brought unusual snowfall to Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, and Israel, leading to snow accumulation on solar panels and a temporary reduction in output. Additionally, extensive cloud cover associated with the storm further suppressed solar irradiance, leading to monthly irradiance levels more than 20% below average in parts of Greece.

Parts of Western Europe, including the British Isles, Portugal, and Italy, experienced below-average solar conditions due to a series of Atlantic low-pressure systems. Irradiance was 5-15% below normal across these regions, as cloud cover and moisture-laden frontal
systems repeatedly moved in from the ocean. A stronger-than-usual jet stream over the Atlantic further fueled these weather patterns, reinforcing the persistent cloudy conditions that limited PV production.

Solcast produces these figures by tracking clouds and aerosols at 1-2km resolution globally, using satellite data and proprietary AI/ML algorithms. This data is used to drive irradiance models, enabling Solcast to calculate irradiance at high resolution, with typical bias of less than 2%, and also cloud-tracking forecasts. This data is used by more than 300 companies managing over 150GW of solar assets globally.