Blog

The first full El Niño winter since 2015 brought larger irradiance swings across South America and two rare snowfall events in Chile's Atacama Desert that likely affected solar generation.

Summer 2026 produced sharply contrasting solar conditions across China. A northward shift in the Western Pacific Subtropical High increased cloud and rainfall in Northeast China, while supporting sunnier conditions and irradiance gains of 20% to 25% across Sichuan, Chongqing and Guizhou.

‍

Europe's solar resource remained above average through August, before a weakening weather pattern brought shifting irradiance conditions later in the month.

July 2026 was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States, yet North American irradiance remained close to long-term averages. Wildfire smoke and localized storms offset what could have been a stronger solar resource month.

‍

Eclipse timing played an important role in shaping daily solar losses during the 12 August event, while cloud conditions further influenced observed impacts. The study also examined electricity-market responses across Spain, France and New York.

‍

Solcast forecasts suggest eclipse timing could influence solar and grid impacts as much as eclipse depth. Explore the projected impacts across Europe and North America.

‍

Using four leading seasonal weather models and first-half 2026 observations, Solcast analyses how a strengthening El Niño is expected to reshape global solar irradiance in late 2026, showing regional outlooks and forecast confidence.

Europe experienced widespread irradiance gains, while El Niño, cloud, rainfall, dust and cyclones reshaped solar resource across North America, Asia, South America and Australia.

‍

Solcast has improved day-ahead solar forecast accuracy by ~9% in North America using an attention-based ensemble correction layer that targets systematic errors in NWP models. The update improves the reliability of short-term forecasts used for dispatch planning and operational decision-making.

Coastal East Asia experienced one of its sunniest Mays in years, with irradiance gains across Japan, Korea, eastern China, Taiwan and the northern Philippines, while inland China saw heavier late-month rainfall.