The summer is drawing to a close in Europe, and it was one of the hottest ever. Thermal power plants (coal and nuclear) had to ramp down production in numerous countries due to a lack of cooling water, but the heat also affected solar power production. Craig Morris reports. July was extremely hot not only in Europe, but worldwide; it may have been the hottest month in history – in a year that might also be the hottest ever. The situation was the same in Europe. June 2015 was the hottest ever in Germany, and only a cool end of the month prevented July from setting a new record. A new record high of 40.3 degrees Celsius (104.5 degrees Fahrenheit) was measured in Germany both on July 5 and August 7. Toss in a lack of rainfall, with large areas of Germany experiencing the worst drought in 50 years (largely in the south), and you end up with a challenge for thermal power plants. The situation affected Germany and neighboring countries. The power sector was … Continue reading How the European power sector copes during the heat wave