Solar climbs across Western Europe in early May, while wind swings sharply by region

Early May highlighted how quickly Europe’s renewable generation can diverge by technology and geography. Solar photovoltaic (PV) output increased across most of Western Europe in the week of May 4, while wind generation showed sharper regional swings, underscoring the short-term volatility investors and power traders face as weather patterns shift.

Solar PV: broad gains, but Germany and Italy buck the trend

Solar generation rose particularly strongly in the Iberian Peninsula and France. Spain recorded the largest increase, up 10%, followed by Portugal with growth of 8.8% and France with a 5.9% rise. By contrast, both Germany and Italy saw declines in solar output.

Germany experienced the steepest drop, with production falling by 30%, fully reversing an upward trend seen over the prior two weeks. Italy also posted a significant decrease of 18%, marking its second consecutive week of declining photovoltaic generation.

Record May output for Spain and France

Despite these regional differences, Spain and France reached record-breaking solar levels for a May day during the week. On May 6, Spain logged its highest-ever solar PV generation for that period at 229 GWh. France set a new May record on May 8, reaching 160 GWh.

Forecasts point to a solar recovery after mixed performance

Looking ahead to the week of May 11, forecasts from AleaSoft Energy Forecasting suggest solar production could recover across Germany, Spain, and Italy. The expectation implies that last week’s uneven results may give way to more balanced gains.

Wind: Iberian strength contrasted with northern declines

Wind generation followed a contrasting pattern in the first week of May. Iberian markets posted gains: Portugal led with a sharp 171% increase, while Spain rose more moderately by 3.1%, marking its second consecutive week of growth.

Northern European markets saw significant declines. Germany recorded the steepest fall in wind output at 41%, followed by France with a 36% decrease; both extended their second week of downward momentum. Italy continued its negative run for a third consecutive week, though the decline was smaller at 2.0%.

Second-week outlook: rebound expected for most countries except Portugal

For the second week of May, forecasts indicate a rebound in wind energy production across Germany, Italy, Spain, and France. Portugal is expected to buck that trend, with forecasts pointing to a decline in wind output—reinforcing that short-term renewable variability remains highly country-specific even within closely linked European power markets.