Europe’s latest heatwave has highlighted a growing challenge for the continent’s energy networks: keeping people cool.
Rising temperatures across much of Europe in June led to a significant increase in electricity consumption as households, offices and businesses relied more heavily on air conditioning and other cooling systems. The result was higher power demand, tighter electricity supplies and a sharp rise in wholesale electricity prices.
While air conditioning remains less widespread in Europe than in countries such as the United States or Japan, its use is growing rapidly.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), around one in five European households now has air conditioning. Ownership has increased by roughly 50% over the past decade, while annual sales have risen by about 30% in the last five years as increasingly intense summers encourage more people to invest in cooling systems.
Heat pushes electricity demand higher
The impact of the June heatwave was particularly visible in Europe’s largest economies.
As temperatures climbed, electricity demand increased across Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Data from Eurelectric showed that Germany’s daily electricity consumption rose from 1,267 gigawatt-hours (GWh) on June 11 to 1,396 GWh by June 25.
France experienced an even larger jump, with consumption increasing from 1,048 GWh to 1,255 GWh over the same period. Demand also rose noticeably in Italy and Spain.
France recorded the largest increase, with electricity demand rising by almost 20% in just two weeks.
According to French grid operator RTE, every one-degree Celsius increase in temperature can increase electricity demand by between 0.7 and 1 gigawatt, largely because of greater cooling requirements.
Higher demand, higher prices
The surge in electricity use was quickly reflected in wholesale power markets.
Germany recorded the highest wholesale electricity prices during the heatwave, with prices exceeding €200 per megawatt-hour (MWh). In France, prices climbed to almost €160/MWh, while Spain saw a more moderate rise to slightly above €110/MWh.
Several factors contributed to the increase.
In Germany, wind power generation fell sharply at the same time demand was rising. With less low-cost renewable electricity available, utilities were forced to rely more heavily on gas- and coal-fired power stations, which are more expensive to operate.
France also faced supply constraints. State-owned utility EDF temporarily reduced nuclear power production by 4.1 gigawatts after river temperatures rose too high to provide sufficient cooling water for some reactors.
The combination of higher electricity consumption and reduced supply helped push prices higher across key European markets.
Cooling becomes a bigger part of energy consumption
Cooling now represents a much larger share of Europe’s energy use than it did a decade ago.
Eurostat data shows that household energy consumption for cooling has roughly doubled across the European Union since 2015. France, Germany, Italy and Spain have all recorded substantial increases.
The trend reflects a succession of extreme summers, including Europe’s devastating 2022 heatwave and record-breaking temperatures recorded in several regions during recent years.
Nevertheless, cooling still accounts for only around 0.8% of the EU’s final energy consumption, underlining how much lower air-conditioning use remains compared with other developed economies.
Can Europe cope?
Energy experts believe Europe’s electricity systems can accommodate growing cooling demand, but doing so will require greater efficiency and flexibility.
Improving the energy performance of cooling equipment could significantly reduce future electricity demand, particularly as many households continue to rely on less efficient portable air-conditioning units.
Solar energy is also expected to play a major role. Because electricity demand for cooling peaks during the hottest hours of the day, it often coincides with maximum solar power generation.
This alignment could help Europe meet a growing share of cooling demand using low-carbon electricity and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
However, future pressures on electricity networks will depend on several factors, including the pace of air-conditioning adoption, improvements in building efficiency and advances in energy storage technologies.
As climate change drives more frequent and intense heatwaves, cooling is increasingly being viewed not simply as a matter of comfort, but as a public health necessity, one that is reshaping how Europe produces, consumes and manages electricity.
Source: euronews
