Solar eclipse drives German electricity prices above 460 euros

Spot market rates spiked during the evening peak as solar generation dropped, though grid operators confirmed supply remained stable.

Talivio News · Global 11 August 2026, 17:24 3 min read

Wholesale electricity prices at the European power exchange EPEX Spot rose sharply on the evening of Wednesday, August 12, coinciding with a partial solar eclipse. The cost for one megawatt-hour reached approximately 460 euros between 19:45 and 20:00, according to data from the exchange.

The Day-Ahead price peaked at 461.17 euros per megawatt-hour at 19:45. Earlier in the evening, between 19:00 and 19:15, wholesale electricity cost 210 euros per megawatt-hour. By sunset at approximately 21:00, prices had fallen back to around 230 euros per megawatt-hour.

Short-term traded 15-minute volumes also saw significant volatility, with spot prices exceeding 400 euros per megawatt-hour during the eclipse. These fluctuations occurred against a backdrop of reduced solar availability across Europe, where approximately 10 gigawatts of solar power were expected to be missing due to the celestial event.

Market signals and grid stability

Gandhi stated that these price spikes have hardly any influence on the daily average. He described the high rates as exactly the signal that brings flexible installations, such as battery storage, into the market. Private individuals, who typically hold contracts with fixed electricity prices, are not affected by these short-term wholesale fluctuations.

German transmission system operator Amprion stated in a press release that the reduced feed-in would have no impact on electricity supply on August 12. The European transmission system operators' association Entso-E had previously established a working group to continuously assess the situation regarding the solar eclipse.

Broader energy context

The price surge occurred while other parts of the European energy system faced constraints. Low water levels and high temperatures in rivers and lakes caused outages in hydropower generation. Additionally, nuclear power plants in France, Hungary, and Romania experienced restricted availability due to the need for cooling water from rivers.

For comparison, the spot price was zero euros during midday hours on Tuesday due to large amounts of solar power available under a cloudless sky. On the same day, between 19:45 and 20:00, the spot price was 200 euros per megawatt-hour. Prices were last higher earlier this year on June 30, when a megawatt-hour cost more than 530 euros during the evening.

Data for these market movements is tracked by Energy-Charts.info, a website operated by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Freiburg, which uses data from EPEX Spot. Looking ahead, further solar eclipses are scheduled for 2027, 2028, and 2030.

Analyses by Amprion suggest that the solar eclipse on August 2, 2027, is likely to have a greater impact on solar feed-in because the darkening will fall in the early morning.

Updates

Update — 12 August, 12:54

Following the solar eclipse on August 12, France recorded a 1,800-megawatt drop in solar generation—equivalent to Lyon’s consumption—while Germany’s photovoltaic feed-in fell for 30 to 45 minutes, according to RTE and the Bundesnetzagentur; Estonia’s wholesale price spiked to 266 euros/MWh, its highest in a month, and the EU Commission confirmed no supply disruptions despite price increases across the internal market, with BDEW noting such evening peaks are regular and not unique to this event.

Update — 12 August, 14:04

Following the solar eclipse on August 12, France experienced a 1,800-megawatt drop in solar generation—equivalent to Lyon’s consumption—compensated by ramped-up reserves, while Germany’s photovoltaic feed-in fell for 30 to 45 minutes, contributing to elevated wholesale prices across Europe; Estonia’s evening spot price hit 266 euros/MWh, up from its usual 14 euros/MWh, though grid operators in France, Germany, and the EU confirmed no supply disruptions occurred.

Update — 12 August, 15:49

Following the solar eclipse on August 12, France recorded a 1,800-megawatt drop in solar generation — equivalent to Lyon’s consumption — with RTE’s Emile Famy noting the decline was gradual over an hour and fully compensable; Spain and Germany, the most affected EU nations, saw solar output fall for 30–45 minutes, driving higher wholesale prices across Europe, while Estonia’s evening spot price surged to 266 euros/MWh from a typical 14 euros/MWh, though grid operators and the EU Commission confirmed no supply disruptions occurred.

Update — 12 August, 17:17

Following the solar eclipse on August 12, ENTSO-E reported a peak reduction of up to 9.7 gigawatts in European solar generation—far exceeding the earlier-reported German-only spike—with France losing 1,800 megawatts and Spain among the hardest hit; grid operators confirmed no supply disruptions, as reserves and flexible demand adjustments compensated for the drop, while Estonia’s wholesale prices surged to 266 euros/MWh, a one-month high, and EU officials noted that prolonged heat and drought, not the eclipse alone, had already strained nuclear and hydro output across the continent.

Sources 2

Solar eclipse drives German electricity prices above 460 euros

Market signals and grid stability

Broader energy context

Updates

Sources 2

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