From The Daily Sceptic

By Will Jones

Solar panels are overheating amid soaring temperatures, leading to gas power stations across the UK being ordered to fire up production to make up the shortfall. The Telegraph has the story.

The National Energy System Operator (Neso) issued a rare summer power supply warning overnight as the country braces for temperatures near 40°C on Wednesday and Thursday.

Gas plants have been urged to ramp up output to deal with high levels of demand expected on Wednesday night as homes and offices turn up the air conditioning to endure the heatwave.

The notice comes as soaring temperatures make Britain’s solar farms less efficient, putting further strain on the power grid. Solar panel efficiency typically drops by 0.3% to 0.5% for every degree that a panel’s temperature rises above 25°C.

Noemie Baud, from energy consultancy Montel, said: “Higher demand for air conditioning and cooling systems is contributing to the increase [in power demand], while lower outputs from solar and gas generation means more conventional generation is required to meet demand, pushing up prices.”

Data from the UK’s grid network showed gas generation jumped from around eight gigawatts at 12pm on Tuesday, to more than 17 gigawatts overnight.

More than half of Britain’s power needs were being supplied by gas on Wednesday morning, with wind generating around 12% and solar less than 10%.

“Our forecasts are showing tight margins on the electricity system for tomorrow evening,” Neso said on Tuesday night. “This is due to the impact of extremely high temperatures affecting Great Britain and the Continent and low wind.”

Britain was facing a 1.9 gigawatt shortfall in its “margin” for Wednesday night – the buffer between available power generation and total consumer demand – according to an alert at 9pm on Tuesday from Elexon, the company that manages the electricity trades that keep Britain’s lights on.

The alert signals to Britain’s gas power plants and other suppliers to start generating more energy to meet the expected demand and is not a sign that blackouts are imminent.

Worth reading in full.