Czech Solar Plants Have So Far Generated 18% of Their Electricity During Negative-Price Hours This Year

In the first five months of this year, Czech solar power plants generated 17.7% of their electricity in hours with negative prices. Including zero prices, this accounted for as much as 23.5% of generation. The data show that the cannibalisation of photovoltaic revenues is moving from a purely theoretical concept into everyday operational reality. Should operating support for solar power plants be reintroduced in the future, this fact must be taken into account. 

According to data for the first five months of the year, Czech solar power plants generated a total of 2.05 TWh of electricity. Of this, 362.6 GWh was generated during periods when the day-ahead electricity market price was negative. Another 117.4 GWh was generated at a zero price. In total, solar sources supplied 480 GWh of electricity to the grid at times when the market price was zero or negative. If they sell their electricity only on the day-ahead market, they would be selling it for free.