European drought highlights dangers for electricity supplies
BBC: Armageddon – ‘Domino’ from drought to Europe’s power generation and energy efficiency
Major problem in nuclear power plants
Where water is used, the production of electricity is reduced and already the drop exceeds 20%, according to the BBC, which recalls that while the drought is threatening the rivers Rhine and Thames equally, the problem is developing like a domino in hydroelectric plants and nuclear plants of Europe.
Italy gets about 1/5 of its power from hydroelectric plants, but this has fallen by about 40% in the past 12 months.
In Spain, electricity production fell by 44%, according to data from energy researchers Rystad Energy.
Extremely hot weather is also affecting nuclear power generation, especially in France. About half of the 56 reactors are offline, with several affected by a systemic corrosion problem.
France is now compensating for the electricity deficit by importing, among others, from the UK where, however, high temperatures are affecting fossil, nuclear and solar energy sources.
“If both the French and British systems are in crisis at the same time, then no one really knows what will happen ,” warn experts.
The French government as a temporary measure allows nuclear plants to release very hot water back into the rivers while the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, citing indicatively: “As soon as the water in the rivers runs low or warms up the cooling in the nuclear plants must stop, because the water released is dangerous.”
“Hydroelectricity production can be affected by volatile factors, but a 40% reduction is absolutely extreme ,” says Rystad energy analyst Fabian Ronningen.
From the BBC
Climate change: Drought highlights dangers for electricity supplies
The ongoing drought in the UK and Europe is putting electricity generation under pressure, say experts.
Electricity from hydropower – which uses water to generate power – has dropped by 20% overall.
And nuclear facilities, which are cooled using river water, have been restricted.
There are fears that the shortfalls are a taste of what will happen in the coming winter.
In the UK, high temperatures are hitting energy output from fossil, nuclear and solar sources.
That is because the technology in power plants and solar panels work much less well in high temperatures.
The prolonged dry spell is putting further pressure on energy supplies as Europe scrambles for alternative sources after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Hydropower is an important source of energy for Europe, but the lack of water in rivers and reservoirs is now significantly reducing the ability of facilities to produce electricity.
Italy gets around 1/5 of its power from hydro, but that’s fallen by around 40% in the past 12 months
Why Solar Power Is Failing Amid Record-Breaking Heat
Authored by Felicity Bradstock via OilPrice.com,
- Solar panels work optimally at around 25ºC.
- This summer brought record-breaking heat, with temperatures reaching as high as 40ºC in the UK.
- Solar panels become less efficient as temperatures rise.
With heatwaves being reported worldwide, leading to wildfires and other environmental concerns, at least one energy sector is getting attention for its major producing potential – solar power. But with solar panels collecting energy from the sun’s radiation, the world’s overheating may (unexpectedly) be of little benefit to solar power production. However, this is not stopping rising consumer interest as people are driven to invest in solar technology as they see both hotter summers and rising consumer prices. With some of the hottest summers on record for several decades in many parts of the world, it must be doing wonders for solar power, right?
As the world heats up, people may think that more sun will bring more solar energy, even if it has been negative for many other reasons. But soaring temperatures may be hindering solar power production as solar panels work optimally at around 25oC and start becoming less efficient when the heat goes above this. And even if the heat does not hamper solar production, it is also doing little to help it.
With record temperatures being seen across much of Europe this summer, as the U.K. reached 40oC in July, solar farms have been seeing positive output levels, with Solar Energy U.K. reporting on 20th July that the country’s solar power output had “met up to a quarter of the U.K.’s power demand”. But this is mostly down to the country seeing more days of sunlight rather than higher temperatures.
Of course, when there’s sun there’s solar power.
But because of the way solar panels work, they become slightly less efficient, by around 0.5 percent, for any degree over or under 25oC. This means that peak production periods in much of the world often happen in cooler spring months rather than during the summer. Although Solar Energy U.K. believes that significant disruptions would only be seen if temperatures were to rise to highs of 65oC or above. CEO of the firm, Chris Hewett, stated:
“It’s marginally better for efficiency in the spring but essentially if you have more light, you produce more solar power.”
He added, “You have to remember that solar panels work all over the world. The same technology we put on our roofs is used in solar farms in the Saudi Arabian desert.”
But uncertainty around what rising temperatures mean for solar panel productivity has not stopped interest in solar energy from picking up as the public sees the correlation between hotter weather and solar power production. As countries around the globe face rapidly rising consumer energy prices, utility bills are costing people hundreds, or even thousands, a year more. This has helped to shift public opinion in favor of the rapid construction of strong renewable energy sectors, as well as home solar technology installation, as they are seeing the limitations of oil and gas.
Governments have worked for years trying to boost public interest in solar and wind power, even offering households feed-in tariffs – where they provide payments to people producing their own solar power to incentivize home solar panel installation. Governments have offered to buy solar power from home producers connected to the grid and have subsidized the cost of solar technology and installation in several parts of the world. And while uptake has steadily increased, the recent surge in energy prices may be the factor that drives consumers to make the shift on a wider scale.
In the U.K., the number of searches on eBay for solar panels and solar power batteries increased by 54 percent and 134 percent respectively in June compared to the same period last year. Demand for products to track and reduce energy use, such as smart meters, has also increased. In 2020, a government report stated that around 970,000 U.K. homes had solar panels, just over 3 percent of homes, with power production increasing from 1 MW in 2008 to 11,730 MW in 2020. According to the U.K. credit company Experian, around 1.9 million households are expected to install solar panels or other renewable energy technologies in 2022, showing a significant boost in public interest.
Many consumers are put off of home solar energy due to the high installation cost of solar panels. But with electricity and gas bills set to continue rising into 2023 and beyond, many are seeing the potential value of the upfront cost. With installation in the U.K. totaling between $6000 and $18,000 on average, households will likely recoup the cost of installation in less time, potentially halving the years it takes to make the money back if energy bills continue to rise.
While the heat waves being seen across the world may not be boosting solar production in the way many might have thought, they have encouraged public interest in solar technologies. As consumers face rapidly rising energy prices and see more hot, sunny days, many are now turning to renewable energies such as solar power as an alternative to help them save money and become more self-sufficient.
Water chaos in Surrey as residents are forced to queue up for bottles after ‘technical issues’ caused the taps to run dry at hundreds of homes a day after drought was officially declared
- Hundreds of families woke up to limited or no water supply today due to a Thames Water equipment failure
- People were pictured in long queues at a temporary bottled water station which soon ran out, residents said
- It comes a day after drought was officially declared in eight areas of southern and central England yesterday
