Canadian wildfires cut solar power by 6.38 TWh, caused $1.9bn loss in 2023

Wildfires may be adversely affecting solar power generation worldwide. According to a recent study published in Nature, smoke from the Canadian wildfires in 2023 reduced solar electricity generation across North America and Europe by an estimated 6.38 terawatt-hours (TWh) over five months. The researchers estimated that the reduction amounted to about 2.8% of the solar electricity generated across the two regions during that period.The report also estimated that the decline in solar generation caused an economic loss of about $1.9 billion and was associated with about 2.1 megatons of CO2 emissions. Researchers attributed the drop to smoke and airborne particles from the wildfires that blocked or scattered sunlight before it could reach solar panels, though they noted significant uncertainty around the estimates.How Canadian wildfire smoke affected solar power generationThe 2023 Canadian wildfire season produced large amounts of smoke that travelled across North America and reached parts of Europe.