A new study highlights that Saharan dust events (SDEs) are having a major impact on solar electricity production across the Mediterranean, raising concerns about the reliability of renewable energy in the region.
Researchers from the Hungarian Research Network’s Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, in collaboration with the University of Pannonia, analyzed the effect of Saharan dust on solar generation in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Greece between 2019 and 2023.
The study found that extreme dust events caused substantial drops in solar energy production. Greece experienced the highest losses, ranging from 20.1% to 40.9%, followed by France with reductions of 4.4% to 40.5%, and Italy with losses of 13.9% to 36.8%. In Portugal, output fell by 10.1% to 29.3%, while Spain saw reductions of 16.3% to 19.8%. Overall, SDEs reduced solar generation by 25% to 40% on average, with some extreme cases exceeding 50%.
The researchers also noted that local impacts can differ from national averages. In Portugal and Spain, solar generation was underestimated by up to 15%, whereas in Italy and Greece it was overestimated by as much as 10%.
These findings emphasize the growing challenge that Saharan dust poses to solar energy in southern Europe, particularly as the region increasingly depends on renewable sources for electricity production.
