AEI: 70% of the country's electricity consumption was covered by solar energy, but prices did not decrease

On Friday afternoon, solar energy covered approximately 70% of Romania's electricity consumption, a remarkable technical achievement, according to the president of the Intelligent Energy Association, Dumitru Chisăliță. However, energy prices did not decrease accordingly, as the surplus solar energy was largely exported.

During peak production hours, the energy price was around 47.8 lei/MWh, but it rose to 1,360 lei/MWh during peak consumption hours. This volatility highlights the challenges of the energy system, which relies on expensive sources in the absence of solar production.

Compared to June 2019, the average energy price has doubled, although solar energy has reduced prices during the day. The photovoltaic paradox highlights that, without storage capacity and flexibility, the solar surplus does not sufficiently lower costs during critical evening hours. Thus, the technical success of solar energy does not translate into lower prices for consumers, but rather the opposite.