The Global Energy Association reports that the Saharan dust storms are increasingly disrupting Europe’s solar energy output by covering panels and reducing efficiency. In April 2024, Germany’s solar production dropped by over 50% in two days due to dust. As solar power grows to 11% of Europe’s energy mix, these storms are causing price spikes and highlighting the need for better forecasting and energy storage. They write:
The North African desert of Sahara, the largest hot desert in the world at 8.6 million square kilometers, is gradually becoming one of the chief factors affecting the situation in Europe’s energy market.
The fact of the matter is that the Sahara is the main source of dense atmospheric dust in Southern and Central Europe, which consists of sand particles of various shapes and weights. Clouds with Sahel dust can concentrate at a higher altitude and get actively carried by winds over long distances, causing dust storms in Europe. As a result, Saharan dust settles on solar panels in a thin dense layer, sharply reducing their power output. […]
Another problem with dust clouds from the Sahara is the complexity of forecasting. The Hungarian researchers note that meteorological services are not currently tracking the movements of high air masses containing large amounts of dust in real time, which affects short-term and medium-term weather forecasts (15 minutes to 24 hours). “The effects of Saharan dust can be enormous. In some years, up to 8 gigawatts less solar power than predicted was generated in Germany in one day,” Amani Joas, head of FlexPower, is quoted as saying by Bloomberg.
The complexity of forecasting leads to sharp market fluctuations in electricity prices and the need for additional investment in energy storage systems.
Read more here.
