Dust, Storms Drag Southern Europe Solar in March
Why it matters: Saharan dust caused widespread panel soiling in southern Europe, impacting solar energy generation.
- Solcast, a DNV company, reported that Saharan dust caused extensive panel soiling across southern Europe in early May.
- Central and eastern Europe benefited from above-average solar resources for a significant portion of May.
- Favorable conditions in central and eastern Europe broke down towards the end of the month.
Saharan dust significantly reduced solar panel efficiency in southern Europe during early May, leading to widespread soiling, according to Solcast, a DNV company. Conversely, central and eastern European regions experienced above-average solar resources for much of the month, though these favorable conditions deteriorated later on.
