Photovoltaic installations are extensively deployed in areas at risk of extremely low production

Abstract

Photovoltaic (PV) installations have rapidly and extensively been deployed worldwide as a promising alternative renewable energy source. However, weather anomalies could expose them to challenges in supply security by causing very low power production. Using reanalysis weather data from 1986 to 2021 and a high-resolution global inventory of PV installations, we assess the impact of extreme low-production (ELP) events across various regions. Our results reveal that regions between 60°N and 60°S experience an average of 27 ELP events annually, with 17% of these events being high-intensity. Regions with dense PV installations—including Southern China, Central and Northern Europe, Central and Eastern America, and Japan—are particularly affected. These areas, which collectively host approximately half of the global PV installations, see 44% of ELP events being high-intensity. Maintaining a daily backup supply equivalent to the average event intensity could recover 39% to 81% of events across different sites. This strategy helps ensure a stable energy supply despite the unpredictability of extreme weather events. Southern China, Central and N Europe, Central and Eastern America, and Japan are areas with dense photovoltaic installations, and they are particularly affected by extremely low production events, according to an analysis that uses weather data and an inventory of photovoltaic installations.