The renewable energy sources and especially the photovoltaic ones which drastically reduced the midday peak of electricity demand, save the country’s electricity supply system during the heat wave period while largely restraining the rise in prices on the Energy Exchange.

However, due to the forecasts for a prolonged heat wave that will last for the next few days, the competent authorities remain alert. ADMIE workshops, by order of the administration, carry out extraordinary inspections of the equipment of the transport system which is stressed by the high temperatures in order to identify and repair any damage as a preventive measure.

Its executives ADMIE they do not rule out next week, at the peak of the third heat wave, a new record in electricity demand with the peak even exceeding 11,500 megawatts (last week it was 10,000 megawatts).

According to competent sources in the RES, if there is no extraordinary event (damage or effects on the network from fires) the system can respond more easily than in the past to the increased summer loads, given that the midday peak of demand due to air conditioners coincides with the peak of photovoltaic production.

At the same time, for a few days now the second electrical interconnection with Bulgaria has been working with reinforcements, the construction of which was recently completed, as well as the new, modern power generation units that are being integrated into the market, while the water reserves in the hydroelectric reservoirs are also considered satisfactory.

An important role in the stability of the system – especially during the period of the fires in Dervenochoria which affected the transmission lines in the region – was also played by the completion of the “Western Corridor” of the ADMIE in the Peloponnese a few weeks ago.

In general, the challenge has now shifted mainly to covering the load in the afternoon-evening hours when the production of the photovoltaics disappears but the demand remains at high levels.

Indicative of the radical transformation that has taken place in the electricity supply system in recent years is the fact that last week the Ministry of Environment and Energy sent a recommendation to consumers to operate energy-intensive electrical appliances (washing machine, iron, oven, etc.) preferably in the afternoon hours (2:00 pm – 6:00 pm), when there is an abundance of electricity from photovoltaics.

Twenty years ago (December 2004) the conclusion of the Commission set up by the then government on electricity adequacy in 2005, (after the blackout that occurred a few weeks before the Athens Olympic Games) recommended exactly the opposite, that is to cut the load at midday either by agreement with consumers and after warning, or if necessary, without warning.

According to the relevant data, the peak demand in 2004, if the blackout had not occurred, would have been 9,500 gigawatts while the production capacity, which was almost exclusively the PPC system, reached 10 gigawatts.

These figures are not far from the current situation as the peak demand these days is around 10 gigawatts while the production potential (PPC thermal units – private and hydroelectric) is around 11 gigawatts. The main difference is renewables, as:

  • In the 2005 conclusion, they were presented as a negligible amount (“the contribution of the existing Renewable Energy Sources stations (about 330 MW) has not been included due to uncertainty about the possibility of their contribution to covering the peak load”, the committee characteristically stated.
  • Today RES are approaching 11 gigawatts and largely cover the meridional peaks of demand. The contribution comes almost exclusively from photovoltaics, as in hot conditions there is usually apnea, so the production of wind turbines is limited.