Solar eclipse to cut solar output across UK and Europe
A solar eclipse is set to dim the skies over parts of the UK and western Europe this Wednesday, briefly cutting down solar power as it blocks up to 95% of sunlight in some areas.
In the UK alone, solar generation could drop by over one gigawatt around sunset, but since this lines up with the time when solar output naturally drops anyway, experts say the overall impact should be pretty mild.
Europe expects 9.7 GW, backups ready
Energy operators across Europe are expecting a dip in solar power, up to 9.7 gigawatts around 7:15pm with countries like Spain and the UK all getting a glimpse of the eclipse.
Grid teams have been prepping for about a year: backup sources like hydropower and gas are on standby just in case.
Heads up for next summer though: a similar eclipse will hit during peak daylight hours, which could be a bigger deal for Europe's growing reliance on solar energy.