France, Germany set daily solar records for April

<p class="p1"><span class="s1">AleaSoft Energy Forecasting’s latest analysis finds increased solar energy production and lower gas futures prices helped reduce electricity prices in most major European markets last week. Germany produced 426 GWh of solar on April 8, a record for a day in April. France also set a new April day record a day later, generating 136 GWh.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Weekly average electricity prices declined in most major European markets last week, according to analysis from AleaSoft Energy Forecasting, influenced by an increase in solar energy production and fall in gas futures prices.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Spanish consultancy noted a drop in the weekly average electricity price across the Belgian, Dutch, French, German, Italian and Nordic markets, but an increase in the average price in the British, Portuguese and Spanish markets.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The weekly average electricity price was below €90 ($<span class="DFlfde SwHCTb">106.10)</span>/MWh in all markets except the Italian market, where the average stood at €119.89/MWh. The French, Portuguese and Spanish markets registered the lowest weekly averages, at €33.90/MWh, €35.64/MWh and €36.57/MWh.</span></p>
<p><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-339063 aligncenter" height="418" src="https://www.pv-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260413-AleaSoft-European-electricity-market-prices-600x418.png" tabindex="0" width="600" /></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlike <a href="https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/04/09/negative-electricity-prices-return-to-france-germany/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">the week prior</a>, AleaSoft noted no daily average prices below €0/MWh last week. The German market had the lowest daily average price of the week for the second consecutive week, recording €3.04/MWh on April 6.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the other end of the scale, daily prices remained above €100/MWh in the Italian market throughout the week, reaching as high as €129.67/MWh on April 10.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">AleaSoft says lower electricity demand and increased solar energy production exerted downward pressure on prices in selected European markets.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The German and French markets broke their records for solar energy production during a day in April, hitting 426 GWh on April 8 and 136 GWh on April 9 respectively. The Iberian markets registered their second-highest level for a day in April, with Spain registering 200 GWh and Portugal recording 22 GWh on April 10.</span></p>
<p><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-339062 aligncenter" height="418" src="https://www.pv-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260413-AleaSoft-Photovoltaic-energy-production-electricity-Europe-600x418.png" tabindex="0" width="600" /></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">AleaSoft adds that declining gas and CO2 emission allowance prices also helped to bring prices down last week.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">TTF gas futures in the ICE market recorded their weekly maximum settlement price on April 7, at €53.20/MWh.  </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">For the rest of the week, settlement prices remained below €50/MWh, which AleaSoft says was caused by the announcement of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran on April 8, as well as reduced demand due to rising temperatures. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">TTF gas futures reached their minimum settlement price of the week on April 10, at €43.64/MWh, which AleaSoft says was 13% lower than the previous week and the lowest settlement since February 28.</span></p>
<p><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-339061 aligncenter" height="418" src="https://www.pv-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260413-AleaSoft-Prices-gas-coal-Brent-oil-CO2-600x418.png" tabindex="0" width="600" /></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">AleaSoft's latest analysis adds that gas price behaviour will continue to impact European electricity prices this week. Price increases are anticipated this week, also influenced by increased electricity demand and lower wind energy production.</span></p>