Study finds heatwaves cause hourly losses of up to 90% in PV plants in Iberian peninsula

Scientists analyzed the performance of three photovoltaic plants in Spain and Portugal during extreme heat events in 2024 and 2025, finding that heatwaves can cause significant yield losses in PV energy production. High temperatures affect module efficiency and trigger thermal derating in inverters, with yield losses concentrated during the hottest hours of the day. The study compared production data with meteorological information, confirming the dataset's suitability and highlighting the need to consider actual weather inputs during extreme heat events for accurate PV generation predictions. The European solar sector is now focused on improving the resilience of PV installations against production losses during periods of extreme heat, moving away from solely maximizing annual generation.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/07/11/study-finds-heatwaves-cause-hourly-losses-of-up-to-90-in-pv-plants-in-iberian-peninsula/