Blaming solar won't save us from a summer of blackouts

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) says we’re facing a perfect storm of high solar generation and low household energy demand. This leaves the grid more vulnerable to voltage spikes which could trigger outages for millions of homes.

For those who watched the lights go out across Spain and Portugal during last April’s record-breaking blackout, these conditions will sound eerily familiar. A surge in solar and a lack of grid stability triggered a devastating domino effect that cut power to more than 50 million people.

All signs seem to point to the fact the UK is heading for the same fate. As NESO outlines urgent measures to balance “surges in energy generation”, clean energy sceptics have been quick to blame renewables. But we must get one thing straight: solar is not the problem.

Renewables are more critical to our energy mix than ever before, as rising global tensions throw the risk of relying on foreign oil and gas into sharp relief. An energy system based solely on fossil fuels is simply not a reliable enough option for the future.

And while renewable energy is typically less stable than traditional fuels, poor system design is ultimately at fault. The real issue is a grid that has not evolved quickly enough to manage our evolving energy mix.

We saw this first-hand in the wake of last year’s blackout in the Iberian Peninsula. While initial voltage spikes from high solar generation caused some grid instability, ill-adapted parts of the system failed to respond dynamically. Meanwhile, conventional plants that could have helped balance the system were either not available or deployed too late. These factors, coupled with a series of human errors and delays, ultimately accelerated the system's collapse, which resulted in countrywide loss of power.

Had the energy system been better equipped to cope with a spike in solar generation, this crisis could have been averted. We have the opportunity to get ahead of the risk in the UK - and we can ill afford not to.

Alongside NESO’s plans to balance a short-term solar surge, broader grid adaptations are needed. The recommendations made following the Iberian blackout - while only scratching the surface  - provide a useful roadmap for the UK. Stronger reactive power provision to mitigate surges, increased automation to reduce response times, and better real-time communication between energy operators to improve coordination are all essential if we are to manage the threat of blackouts ahead.

Building these adaptations into our own grid will enable us to fully reap the benefits of a more renewable-heavy energy mix, while keeping the lights firmly on.

We cannot be distracted by anti-renewables rhetoric and the net-zero debate. Ensuring our energy infrastructure can support a more diverse energy mix is non-negotiable if we are to maintain energy security in an increasingly unstable world.

Rather than throw shade on solar, we must get serious about delivering these changes and build an energy system fit for the future.

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Taco Engelaar is Senior Vice President and Managing Director at Neara, the leading infrastructure modelling experts helping global utilities navigate system pressures and boost resilience in the grid.

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