During the week of January 5, solar photovoltaic production increased strongly in the Iberian Peninsula, while most central European markets recorded declines. Spain showed the largest growth, with production rising by 39%, whereas Portugal followed with a more moderate increase of 16%. In contrast, Italy, Germany and France all experienced downturns in output. After two consecutive weeks of growth, Italy and France saw declines of 8.8% and 26%, respectively, while Germany registered its second week in a row of falling generation, dropping by 23%.
Several markets reached historic January records for solar energy during the week. On January 5, Portugal achieved its second-highest photovoltaic output ever recorded for a January day, reaching 16 GWh. Italy set a new all-time January record on Sunday the 11th with 63 GWh, while Spain recorded the third-highest January photovoltaic production in its history on the same day with 115 GWh, just below the peaks reached on January 18 and January 31, 2025.
Looking ahead to the week of January 12, AleaSoft Energy Forecasting expects solar production to decline in Germany, Spain and Italy, reversing the positive trend seen earlier in the month.
Wind energy followed a different pattern. In the second week of January, wind generation increased across most major European markets. Spain recorded the most dramatic change, with production soaring by 119% week-on-week, while France followed with an impressive 87% increase. Portugal and Italy also maintained positive momentum, rising by 21% and 24%, respectively. Germany stood out as the only market with declining wind output, falling by 35% after two weeks of growth.
The period was also marked by new historic wind energy records. Spain reached an all-time high on January 9, when wind generation hit 453 GWh. Italy followed on January 10 with a new record of 188 GWh. France recorded its second-highest wind production for a January day on January 9, reaching 429 GWh, narrowly below the peak registered in late January 2025.
For the second week of January, AleaSoft forecasts that wind energy production will rise in Germany, while Italy, Spain, Portugal and France are expected to see declines, marking a clear shift in market trends compared to the previous week, AleaSoft reports.