en.Wedoany.com Reported - Red Eléctrica (REE), Spain's grid operator, estimates that the solar eclipse on August 12 will cause a limited and brief disruption to Spain's photovoltaic generation. The maximum drop in photovoltaic output will be approximately 5 GW, equivalent to about 13% of the expected maximum demand on a typical Wednesday in August. The company explained that since the eclipse coincides with the natural decline phase of photovoltaic generation, the impact is significantly reduced; the final actual impact still depends on meteorological conditions such as cloud cover on that day.

To assess the expected performance of the power system during this astronomical event, Red Eléctrica activated its self-developed mathematical model for eclipse impact. This tool calculates shading curves for each geographical area, estimates the decline in irradiance, and converts it into photovoltaic generation losses. According to the system operator, the eclipse will cause the usual afternoon decline in photovoltaic generation to occur slightly earlier and more sharply, but it will not coincide with the peak demand period of the day, thereby reducing operational risks to the system. Photovoltaic generation in the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands will be minimally affected by this eclipse. To strengthen operational safety, the operator will coordinate with official agencies, European transmission system operators (TSOs), and domestic generation and distribution control centers, increasing reserve capacity and conventional safety margins, and continuously monitoring the progress of the phenomenon throughout the eclipse.

This assessment contrasts with the 2024 North American total solar eclipse. Solcast's analysis of the April 8 total solar eclipse in North America at the time showed that the eclipse path coincided with the midday photovoltaic generation peak, and areas within the path of totality temporarily lost 100% of irradiance within minutes. In ERCOT (Texas), the operator expected a reduction of 11.7% in daily photovoltaic generation from ground-mounted plants, approximately 16.9 GWh based on installed capacity at the time, with maximum ramp rates approaching 250 MW per minute, higher than levels observed during normal sunrise and sunset; in NYISO and ISO New England, rooftop distributed photovoltaics bore the brunt of the impact; CAISO, although far from the path of totality, expected a reduction of approximately 4 GWh due to its large installed base of distributed photovoltaics. Red Eléctrica believes that, based on the aforementioned planning, and given that photovoltaic generation will already be in its decline phase when the eclipse occurs and will not fall within the peak demand period, Spain's power system can smoothly absorb this phenomenon without major incidents.