During the week of May 25, solar photovoltaic (PV) generation increased across major European electricity markets compared to the previous week, reflecting stronger seasonal conditions and improving irradiation levels. Germany and Spain recorded the largest growth, both rising by 17%, while Italy posted the smallest increase of 2.6%. France and Portugal also saw solid gains of 13% and 16% respectively, with France and Spain extending their upward trend to four consecutive weeks of growth. Germany and Italy continued their third consecutive week of increases, while Portugal maintained a second straight week of expansion.
Throughout the same period, several markets reached new solar generation records, underscoring the rapid expansion of installed PV capacity across Europe. On May 26, Italy achieved its highest-ever solar output for a May day, producing 161 GWh. Just two days later, on May 28, both Germany and France set all-time solar production records, reaching 503 GWh and 179 GWh respectively. The Iberian Peninsula followed on May 29, when Spain generated 265 GWh and Portugal 32 GWh, both marking historic highs for solar output.
Looking ahead to the week of June 1, forecasts from AleaSoft Energy Forecasting suggest diverging trends across markets. Italy is expected to see further growth in solar production, while Germany and Spain are projected to experience a decline in output, indicating a short-term correction after recent record levels.
In the fourth week of May, wind energy production showed mixed performance across Europe. Germany and Portugal recorded increases compared to the previous week, with Germany posting the strongest rise of 14%, while Portugal saw a modest increase of 0.2%. In contrast, Italy, France, and Spain extended their downward trend in wind generation into a second consecutive week of decline.
Among the declining markets, Italy experienced the sharpest drop in wind production at 50%, followed by France with a 24% decrease, while Spain recorded a smaller decline of 6.1%.
For the first week of June, forecasts indicate a broad recovery in wind energy production across all analyzed markets, with expectations of higher output compared to the previous week as meteorological conditions improve, AleaSoft reports.