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We have solar in Finland as well, like everyone else. Yes, it's useless in winter. Yes, the expansion has slowed down, because there is no storage and limited e

by 2000UltraDeluxe 6mo ago

We have solar in Finland as well, like everyone else. Yes, it's useless in winter. Yes, the expansion has slowed down, because there is no storage and limited export options. The Nordic power market is a mess, and it's not because solar doesn't work in winter but because the grid needs massive investments on all levels and nobody wants to be left holding the bill for it. Electrification? Sure, I'll buy an EV when the _local_ grid operator makes sure my lights don't flicker when the neighbor uses an angle grinder. The last update was that they plan to replace the old transformer station from the 60's "when it breaks". Local generation? Can't get rid of the excess generation if I wanted to. Is Denmark's power grid expansion still geared at selling Swedish electricity to the Germans? Sweden? No internal transfer capacity so their consumers have constant high prices while power is exported cheaply. Norway? Geo-blocked by Sweden.

leonidasrup 6mo ago
Solar power in Finland is really not important. Data from 2025. Nuclear 32 TWh, Wind 22 TWh, Hydro 12 TWh, Solar 1 TWh. https://ourworldindata.org/profile/energy/finland https://ourworldindata.org/profile/energy/finland
- 2000UltraDeluxe 6mo ago
  Indeed, and large parts of the reason has nothing to do with geography. The same applies to Denmark and the rest of the Nordics. Obviously solar will be decreasingly useful as you get further to the pole, but the Nordics aren't worse off than Alaska or Canada in that regard, and both do solar to some extent AFAIK.
  - leonidasrup 6mo ago
    It has lot to do with geographic latitude and weather patterns. The amount of electric output per amount solar installed strongly affects the profitability of solar installation (if you don't count of government subsidies). You get the following output on average each year Denmark 1000 kWh/kWp South Germany 1200 kWh/kWp South Spain 1700 kWh/kWp Egypt up to 2000 kWh/kWp
    - Jensson 6mo ago
      And summer isn't when you need the power anyway, so its very inefficient since northern winters has barely any sunlight at all, its close to 0 from solar power then. In warmer countries you want power in the summer for AC during the day, so there it matches usage, but in northern countries solar isn't very useful at all.
  - Jensson 6mo ago
    > but the Nordics aren't worse off than Alaska or Canada in that regard Nordics are much further north than Canada, most Canadians live further south than Paris and Paris is a lot further south than even Denmark that is much further south than Finland.

leonidasrup 6mo ago

Solar power in Finland is really not important. Data from 2025. Nuclear 32 TWh, Wind 22 TWh, Hydro 12 TWh, Solar 1 TWh. https://ourworldindata.org/profile/energy/finland https://ourworldindata.org/profile/energy/finland

2000UltraDeluxe 6mo ago
Indeed, and large parts of the reason has nothing to do with geography. The same applies to Denmark and the rest of the Nordics. Obviously solar will be decreasingly useful as you get further to the pole, but the Nordics aren't worse off than Alaska or Canada in that regard, and both do solar to some extent AFAIK.
- leonidasrup 6mo ago
  It has lot to do with geographic latitude and weather patterns. The amount of electric output per amount solar installed strongly affects the profitability of solar installation (if you don't count of government subsidies). You get the following output on average each year Denmark 1000 kWh/kWp South Germany 1200 kWh/kWp South Spain 1700 kWh/kWp Egypt up to 2000 kWh/kWp
  - Jensson 6mo ago
    And summer isn't when you need the power anyway, so its very inefficient since northern winters has barely any sunlight at all, its close to 0 from solar power then. In warmer countries you want power in the summer for AC during the day, so there it matches usage, but in northern countries solar isn't very useful at all.
- Jensson 6mo ago
  > but the Nordics aren't worse off than Alaska or Canada in that regard Nordics are much further north than Canada, most Canadians live further south than Paris and Paris is a lot further south than even Denmark that is much further south than Finland.