Page 1 Created with Sketch. Page 1 Created with Sketch. Page 1 Created with Sketch. Page 1 Created with Sketch. Artboard 1 copy 14Artboard 1 copy 7Artboard 1 copy 66Artboard 1 copy 23Artboard 1 copy 16Artboard 1 copy 55Artboard 1 copy 43Artboard 1 copy 50Artboard 1 copy 54Artboard 1 copy 34Artboard 1 copy 51Artboard 1 copy 36Artboard 1 copy 35Artboard 1 copy 46Artboard 1 copyArtboard 1 copy 31Artboard 1 copy 48Artboard 1 copy 9Artboard 1 copy 27Artboard 1 copy 8Artboard 1 copy 20Artboard 1 copy 2Artboard 1 copy 24Artboard 1 copy 62Artboard 1 copy 30Artboard 1 copy 41Artboard 1 copy 28Artboard 1 copy 26Artboard 1 copy 67Artboard 1 copy 52Artboard 1 copy 33Artboard 1 copy 29Artboard 1 copy 19Artboard 1 copy 53Artboard 1 copy 22Artboard 1 copy 21Artboard 1 copy 12Artboard 1 copy 13Artboard 1 copy 47Artboard 1 copy 49Artboard 1 copy 57Artboard 1 copy 32Artboard 1 copy 4Artboard 1 copy 25Artboard 1 copy 10Artboard 1 copy 15Artboard 1Artboard 1 copy 56Artboard 1 copy 11Artboard 1 copy 38Artboard 1 copy 65Artboard 1 copy 39Artboard 1 copy 5Artboard 1 copy 58Artboard 1 copy 6Artboard 1 copy 17Artboard 1 copy 40Artboard 1 copy 60Artboard 1 copy 3Artboard 1 copy 45Artboard 1 copy 18Artboard 1 copy 42Artboard 1 copy 61Artboard 1 copy 63Artboard 1 copy 64Artboard 1 copy 59Artboard 1 copy 44Artboard 1 copy 37 Combined Shape Created with Sketch. icon/info Created with Sketch. icon/info Created with Sketch. Group 17 Created with Sketch. Fill 1 Created with Sketch. Page 1 Created with Sketch. 99021DFE-DB58-4EE2-9D52-C2BF154A8B0A Created with sketchtool. Oval 2 Created with Sketch. Combined Shape Created with Sketch. Combined Shape Copy Created with Sketch. Group 18 Created with Sketch. Group 16 Created with Sketch. Page 1 Created with Sketch. ; ;
« Back to search
16.3.2015 14:30
Current News, Power System, Electricity Market

Preparing for the solar eclipse on 20 March 2015

On Friday, 20 March 2015, at 9.40 am to 1.50 pm Finnish time, a partial solar eclipse will be seen throughout almost all of Europe. In the Nordic countries, the eclipse will have no impact on the functioning of the power system, since solar electricity production is minor. However, in continental Europe the eclipse can have a significant effect on the momentary balance between consumption and production.
If the weather is clear to begin with, the production from solar panels decreases up to more than 30,000 megawatts in one hour across the entire continental Europe. As the eclipse ends, the panels return to producing electricity and the power system experiences a corresponding increase in power. At its greatest, the rate of change in power caused by the eclipse may be several hundred megawatts in a minute.
 
The impact of the solar eclipse will be most conspicuous in Germany and Italy, where the installed solar electricity capacity is greatest. European TSOs have prepared for the solar eclipse well in advance and are ready to e.g. obtain more reserves to control the situation, and thus the eclipse is not expected to endanger the operational reliability of the electricity network.
 
The effect of the solar eclipse on the market is strongly dependent on the clarity of the weather during the eclipse. If the weather in continental Europe is clear, Nordic TSOs limit their import capacity to continental Europe to the level of 800–1,000 megawatts and export capacity to the level of 3,000–4,000 megawatts to maintain operational reliability. The total capacity is divided among connections in proportion to their nominal power. The connections' automatic regulation properties are kept in use to support the power balance in continental Europe. Normal ramping restrictions from hour to hour are in use.
 
Nordic TSOs will inform the market again before the eclipse if there is reason to take further measures to secure operational reliability due to the weather forecast or other reasons.
 
More information on the solar eclipse can be found on the website of the European TSO cooperation body ENTSO-E:
 
 
You can see an animation of the solar eclipse by clicking the link below:
 
 
Further information:
Timo Kaukonen, tel. +358 30 395 4228