A partial solar eclipse will be visible in France on Tuesday.
It is in Strasbourg that the phenomenon will be most marked.
This eclipse will have a slight impact on electricity production.
This Tuesday, from 11:09 a.m., the trajectory of the Moon will cross that of the Sun, partially masking the latter.
This partial solar eclipse will last about two hours and can be observed throughout France, but it is near Strasbourg that the phenomenon will be most pronounced, with an occultation of 20%.
If the spectacle promises to be impressive, it is not without consequences on the consumption and production of electricity.
It is quite normal for a solar eclipse to have an impact on the electricity network.
As the Electricity Transmission Network (RTE) points out, “if it is very dark, photovoltaic production can drop due to the lack of sunlight”.
And, according to the same logic, electricity consumption will increase mechanically to “compensate for the lack of light or heating of buildings.
»
A production loss of 500 MW
Inevitably, the more the Moon masks the Sun, the greater the impact.
For this Tuesday's eclipse, RTE estimates that "solar production could decrease by 8%", representing a lack of productivity of 500 MW.
On the scale of France, it is not catastrophic, even if it still represents the consumption of a city like Bordeaux.
RTE stresses, however, that on a European scale, 13,000 MW will not be produced by photovoltaic installations at the height of the eclipse.
So don't worry, there won't be a blackout, the phenomenon having been anticipated with photovoltaic compensation by other modes of electricity production.
Science
A partial solar eclipse visible everywhere in France this Tuesday
Science
The formation of the Moon may have taken only a few hours, according to this new study
Company
Solar eclipse
Moon
Sun
Electricity
Solar energy