Solar power generation in the EU reached record levels this summer, with summer solar power generation up 28% compared to 2021.

According to an analysis by climate think-tank Ember, between May and August, solar power accounts for about 12 percent of the EU’s electricity, and the corresponding gas burning costs will be as high as 29 billion euros ($28.9 billion). The figures underscore how renewable energy will help Europe reduce its reliance on imported fuels in the months and years ahead.

Pawel Czyzak, an analyst at Ember, said: “The investment in solar energy capacity has paid off, with solar power helping to reduce the consumption of natural gas and saving European citizens billions of dollars. It is clear that we need as much solar power as possible. .”

Ember’s analysis shows that solar generation reached 99.4 MWh in the summer, up 28 percent year-on-year, which saved about 20 billion cubic meters of natural gas use. The EU is looking to further harness its renewable energy for power generation, capping excess revenue for companies generating electricity from sources other than natural gas and returning profits to consumers.

Developers are building new solar farms across Europe at a rate that could mean solar power will break records every summer for at least the next decade.

This summer, as Europe suffered a biting heatwave, demand for air-conditioning has been boosted. Meanwhile, most of France’s nuclear reactors were shut down for maintenance, leaving the continent without one of the most important sources of low-carbon electricity. Relentless heat and drought have also dried up the waterways that support hydroelectric power, another key to replacing gas and coal power.

But this winter, when the days get shorter, solar will also lose some of its capacity, and less predictable winds will fill the void.