How Solar Pulls Midday Electricity Prices Down in Europe, to 2026-10-29 (29 October 2026)
In 40 of 45 European bidding zones, the average day-ahead price at midday (11:00 to 15:00 local) was more than 20% below the evening peak (18:00 to 21:00), over the latest 12 months, 28 October 2025 to 29 October 2026 (359 to 365 whole local days per zone). Portugal had the biggest gap: midday averaged EUR 27.7/MWh against EUR 121.9/MWh in the evening.
Day-ahead wholesale prices from ENTSO-E in EUR/MWh, by local clock hour, averaged over the latest 12 months, 28 October 2025 to 29 October 2026 (359 to 365 whole local days per zone), and year by year since 2015. This page compares prices by time of day and does not measure solar output.
Key Facts
- In 40 of 45 European bidding zones, the average day-ahead price at midday (11:00 to 15:00 local) was more than 20% below the evening peak (18:00 to 21:00), over the latest 12 months, 28 October 2025 to 29 October 2026 (359 to 365 whole local days per zone). Portugal had the biggest gap: midday averaged EUR 27.7/MWh against EUR 121.9/MWh in the evening.
- 40 of 45 zones had a midday average more than 20% below the evening average, over 28 October 2025 to 29 October 2026.
- Portugal had the lowest midday to evening ratio, 23%: EUR 27.7/MWh at midday and EUR 121.9/MWh in the evening.
- Norway Central (NO3) had the highest ratio, 91%: EUR 76.1/MWh at midday and EUR 83.9/MWh in the evening.
- 0 of 45 zones had a midday average above the evening average.
- In 2026, the average day-ahead price at midday (11:00 to 15:00) was below the evening average (18:00 to 21:00) in 41 of 41 zones with yearly figures, against 24 of 33 in 2015.
- Spain: the midday average was 97% of the evening average in 2015 and 22% in 2026.
- Germany and Luxembourg: the midday average was 77% of the evening average in 2019 and 30% in 2026.
- This page compares prices by time of day. It does not measure solar output, so the pattern is consistent with solar generation but is not a measured solar effect.
The 10 Strongest Midday Discounts
Midday below the evening peak, percent| Portugal | |
|---|---|
| Spain | |
| Greece | |
| France | |
| Hungary | |
| North Macedonia | |
| Albania | |
| Germany and Luxembourg | |
| Kosovo | |
| Netherlands |
Each bar is how far the average price from 11:00 to 15:00 sat below the average from 18:00 to 21:00, as a share of the evening average. Portugal had the biggest gap (27.7 at midday against 121.9 in the evening, EUR/MWh) and Netherlands the tenth. A value above 100% means midday averaged below zero.
Midday Against Evening by Bidding Zone
Strongest effect first, 45 zones, data to 2026-10-29| # | Bidding zone | Midday 11:00 to 15:00 (EUR/MWh) | Evening 18:00 to 21:00 (EUR/MWh) | Midday as share of evening | Midday more than 20% cheaper | Days | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portugal | 27.7 | 121.9 | 23% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-28 to 2026-10-27 |
| 2 | Spain | 26.3 | 105.6 | 25% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 3 | Greece | 43.2 | 167.0 | 26% | Yes | 363 | 2025-10-29 to 2026-10-28 |
| 4 | France | 41.4 | 124.0 | 33% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 5 | Hungary | 75.0 | 204.8 | 37% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-29 to 2026-10-28 |
| 6 | North Macedonia | 64.7 | 176.5 | 37% | Yes | 362 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 7 | Albania | 65.7 | 179.0 | 37% | Yes | 364 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 8 | Germany and Luxembourg | 58.6 | 156.5 | 37% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-29 to 2026-10-28 |
| 9 | Kosovo | 67.8 | 180.6 | 38% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 10 | Netherlands | 58.6 | 155.1 | 38% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-29 to 2026-10-28 |
| 11 | Serbia | 72.9 | 181.6 | 40% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 12 | Belgium | 62.0 | 152.7 | 41% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 13 | Poland | 73.3 | 178.2 | 41% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 14 | Romania | 76.5 | 185.4 | 41% | Yes | 363 | 2025-10-29 to 2026-10-28 |
| 15 | Croatia | 76.9 | 185.7 | 41% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-29 to 2026-10-28 |
| 16 | Slovakia | 75.1 | 180.8 | 42% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-29 to 2026-10-28 |
| 17 | Slovenia | 78.1 | 182.9 | 43% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 18 | Denmark West (DK1) | 64.3 | 150.2 | 43% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 19 | Czechia | 71.5 | 166.5 | 43% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 20 | Bulgaria | 74.9 | 172.9 | 43% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-29 to 2026-10-28 |
| 21 | Montenegro | 75.1 | 168.7 | 44% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 22 | Denmark East (DK2) | 68.5 | 153.4 | 45% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 23 | Austria | 79.5 | 173.0 | 46% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 24 | Sweden South (SE4) | 61.6 | 126.5 | 49% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 25 | Italy Sicily | 99.2 | 189.1 | 52% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-29 to 2026-10-28 |
| 26 | Switzerland | 88.3 | 159.7 | 55% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 27 | Italy Calabria | 99.9 | 177.6 | 56% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-29 to 2026-10-28 |
| 28 | Italy South | 101.4 | 178.5 | 57% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-29 to 2026-10-28 |
| 29 | Italy Sardinia | 100.8 | 176.8 | 57% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-29 to 2026-10-28 |
| 30 | Sweden South-Central (SE3) | 53.6 | 93.2 | 58% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 31 | Latvia | 78.9 | 131.3 | 60% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 32 | Lithuania | 79.8 | 131.3 | 61% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 33 | Italy Centre-South | 112.1 | 178.6 | 63% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-29 to 2026-10-28 |
| 34 | Estonia | 73.2 | 111.0 | 66% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-29 to 2026-10-28 |
| 35 | Norway South-West (NO2) | 82.6 | 124.4 | 66% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 36 | Ireland and Northern Ireland (SEM) | 120.7 | 180.4 | 67% | Yes | 359 | 2025-10-28 to 2026-10-27 |
| 37 | Italy Centre-North | 119.8 | 178.6 | 67% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-29 to 2026-10-28 |
| 38 | Italy North | 120.0 | 176.9 | 68% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-29 to 2026-10-28 |
| 39 | Norway South-East (NO1) | 86.2 | 118.1 | 73% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 40 | Finland | 56.1 | 70.5 | 80% | Yes | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 41 | Sweden North (SE1) | 39.9 | 48.6 | 82% | No | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 42 | Norway West (NO5) | 92.5 | 110.3 | 84% | No | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 43 | Sweden North-Central (SE2) | 41.6 | 49.3 | 84% | No | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 44 | Norway North (NO4) | 33.2 | 37.1 | 89% | No | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
| 45 | Norway Central (NO3) | 76.1 | 83.9 | 91% | No | 365 | 2025-10-30 to 2026-10-29 |
Midday is the average of the four hours starting 11:00, 12:00, 13:00 and 14:00 local time; the evening peak is the average of the three hours starting 18:00, 19:00 and 20:00. Both are averages of the zone's hourly average prices over its whole local days in the window. A share below 100% means midday was cheaper than the evening: 40 of 45 zones were more than 20% cheaper (a share under 80%), and 0 zones were dearer at midday. Ukraine (IPS) is priced in another currency and left out.
Source: ENTSO-E Transparency Platform (transparency.entsoe.eu), CC BY 4.0. Aggregated and converted by World Power Monitor; ENTSO-E does not endorse this site. (ENTSO-E Terms of Use plus CC BY 4.0 for listed data items) Data as of 2026-10-29. Averages are computed by World Power Monitor from ENTSO-E day-ahead market intervals. No solar or capacity figures are used on this page.
Midday Against Evening, Year by Year
2015 to 2026, calendar yearsIn 2026, the average day-ahead price at midday (11:00 to 15:00) was below the evening average (18:00 to 21:00) in 41 of 41 zones with yearly figures, against 24 of 33 in 2015. Spain: the midday average was 97% of the evening average in 2015 and 22% in 2026. Germany and Luxembourg: the midday average was 77% of the evening average in 2019 and 30% in 2026.
| Year | Zones with midday below evening, % |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 73% |
| 2016 | 79% |
| 2017 | 82% |
| 2018 | 89% |
| 2019 | 89% |
| 2020 | 84% |
| 2021 | 95% |
| 2022 | 93% |
| 2023 | 100% |
| 2024 | 100% |
| 2025 | 96% |
| 2026 | 100% |
| Year | Germany and Luxembourg | France | Spain | Poland | Italy North | Netherlands | Finland | Belgium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | n/a | 88% | 97% | n/a | 84% | 96% | 108% | 93% |
| 2016 | n/a | 80% | 95% | n/a | 85% | 91% | 100% | 83% |
| 2017 | n/a | 86% | 96% | n/a | 83% | 89% | 102% | 86% |
| 2018 | n/a | 86% | 97% | n/a | 85% | 87% | 102% | 85% |
| 2019 | 77% | 84% | 96% | n/a | 82% | 83% | 101% | 82% |
| 2020 | 68% | 80% | 89% | 100% | 79% | 72% | 95% | 72% |
| 2021 | 77% | 81% | 85% | 89% | 86% | 76% | 92% | 76% |
| 2022 | 66% | 81% | 79% | 63% | 80% | 63% | 90% | 66% |
| 2023 | 58% | 65% | 63% | 72% | 72% | 54% | 94% | 62% |
| 2024 | 44% | 51% | 51% | 50% | 70% | 43% | 76% | 47% |
| 2025 | 39% | 41% | 35% | 43% | 68% | 38% | 69% | 40% |
| 2026 | 30% | 29% | 22% | 34% | 65% | 31% | 77% | 35% |
| Bidding zone | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Latest 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 47% | 45% | 33% | 37% |
| Austria | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 82% | 77% | 84% | 79% | 64% | 50% | 44% | 40% | 46% |
| Belgium | 93% | 83% | 86% | 85% | 82% | 72% | 76% | 66% | 62% | 47% | 40% | 35% | 41% |
| Bulgaria | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 67% | 57% | 39% | 36% | 39% | 43% |
| Croatia | n/a | n/a | n/a | 87% | 86% | 81% | 85% | 77% | 60% | 41% | 39% | 35% | 41% |
| Czechia | 80% | 87% | 85% | 83% | 83% | 79% | 82% | 71% | 63% | 47% | 43% | 36% | 43% |
| Denmark East (DK2) | 95% | 97% | 92% | 93% | 87% | 81% | 82% | 68% | 62% | 48% | 43% | 39% | 45% |
| Denmark West (DK1) | 96% | 95% | 91% | 89% | 84% | 72% | 80% | 68% | 59% | 48% | 42% | 37% | 43% |
| Estonia | 109% | 101% | 103% | 102% | 103% | 98% | 89% | 80% | 69% | 54% | 51% | 59% | 66% |
| Finland | 108% | 100% | 102% | 102% | 101% | 95% | 92% | 90% | 94% | 76% | 69% | 77% | 80% |
| France | 88% | 80% | 86% | 86% | 84% | 80% | 81% | 81% | 65% | 51% | 41% | 29% | 33% |
| Germany and Luxembourg | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 77% | 68% | 77% | 66% | 58% | 44% | 39% | 30% | 37% |
| Greece | 88% | 91% | 86% | 93% | 89% | 78% | 80% | 70% | 58% | 39% | 31% | n/a | 26% |
| Hungary | 88% | 88% | 88% | 86% | 83% | 77% | 79% | 73% | 58% | 35% | 36% | 31% | 37% |
| Ireland and Northern Ireland (SEM) | 74% | 69% | 74% | 75% | 82% | 75% | 84% | 84% | 81% | 77% | 68% | n/a | 67% |
| Italy Calabria | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 78% | 72% | 64% | 63% | 62% | 53% | 56% |
| Italy Centre-North | 73% | 74% | 80% | 83% | 79% | 75% | 85% | 79% | 70% | 66% | 67% | 64% | 67% |
| Italy Centre-South | 71% | 71% | 75% | 80% | 75% | 70% | 81% | 74% | 66% | 64% | 65% | 60% | 63% |
| Italy North | 84% | 85% | 83% | 85% | 82% | 79% | 86% | 80% | 72% | 70% | 68% | 65% | 68% |
| Italy Sardinia | 71% | 71% | 74% | 79% | 73% | 67% | 77% | 68% | 62% | 56% | 56% | 53% | 57% |
| Italy Sicily | 75% | 62% | 54% | 60% | 50% | 54% | 75% | 70% | 62% | 61% | 61% | 49% | 52% |
| Italy South | 68% | 69% | 73% | 76% | 69% | 66% | 78% | 72% | 64% | 62% | 62% | 53% | 57% |
| Kosovo | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 46% | 46% | 33% | 38% |
| Latvia | 100% | 102% | 102% | 103% | 103% | 98% | 90% | 82% | 72% | 55% | 51% | 53% | 60% |
| Lithuania | 101% | 103% | 102% | 103% | 103% | 98% | 89% | 81% | 72% | 55% | 51% | 54% | 61% |
| Montenegro | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 53% | 52% | 39% | 44% |
| Netherlands | 96% | 91% | 89% | 87% | 83% | 72% | 76% | 63% | 54% | 43% | 38% | 31% | 38% |
| North Macedonia | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 42% | 36% | n/a | 37% |
| Norway Central (NO3) | 102% | 100% | 100% | 98% | 99% | 101% | 101% | 99% | 97% | 91% | 102% | 89% | 91% |
| Norway North (NO4) | 100% | 99% | 101% | 99% | 98% | 100% | 101% | 106% | 97% | 91% | 104% | 87% | 89% |
| Norway South-East (NO1) | 100% | 99% | 99% | 98% | 98% | 102% | 95% | 90% | 87% | 77% | 70% | 70% | 73% |
| Norway South-West (NO2) | 100% | 99% | 100% | 98% | 98% | 102% | 94% | 85% | 82% | 69% | 68% | 63% | 66% |
| Norway West (NO5) | 100% | 99% | 100% | 98% | 98% | 99% | 95% | 90% | 88% | 84% | 82% | 82% | 84% |
| Poland | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 100% | 89% | 63% | 72% | 50% | 43% | 34% | 41% |
| Portugal | 92% | 91% | 93% | 94% | 93% | 85% | 81% | 73% | 59% | 46% | 31% | 19% | 23% |
| Romania | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 73% | 57% | 39% | 39% | n/a | 41% |
| Serbia | n/a | n/a | 89% | 88% | 86% | 80% | 84% | 79% | 61% | 42% | 39% | 35% | 40% |
| Slovakia | 83% | 87% | 90% | 88% | 84% | 80% | 84% | 74% | 61% | 42% | 41% | 35% | 42% |
| Slovenia | 87% | 89% | 89% | 89% | 86% | 81% | 85% | 78% | 62% | 43% | 41% | 37% | 43% |
| Spain | 97% | 95% | 96% | 97% | 96% | 89% | 85% | 79% | 63% | 51% | 35% | 22% | 25% |
| Sweden North (SE1) | 102% | 101% | 99% | 98% | 98% | 101% | 99% | 103% | 90% | 80% | 80% | 79% | 82% |
| Sweden North-Central (SE2) | 102% | 101% | 99% | 98% | 98% | 101% | 99% | 102% | 90% | 79% | 83% | 82% | 84% |
| Sweden South (SE4) | 99% | 99% | 98% | 96% | 92% | 88% | 85% | 75% | 68% | 52% | 47% | 43% | 49% |
| Sweden South-Central (SE3) | 102% | 100% | 99% | 97% | 97% | 96% | 94% | 82% | 81% | 74% | 53% | 52% | 58% |
| Switzerland | 87% | 87% | 90% | 88% | 86% | 80% | 85% | 83% | 72% | 61% | 57% | 50% | 55% |
Each figure is the zone's average price from 11:00 to 15:00 divided by its average from 18:00 to 21:00, over every whole local day in the calendar year, for years with at least 300 priced days. A blank (n/a) means the year has no hour profile for the zone. Below 100% means midday was cheaper than the evening. The count above includes only years with a ratio for at least 10 zones, and the set of zones grows from 33 in 2015 to 41 in 2026, so the yearly counts are not a like for like series.
Source: ENTSO-E Transparency Platform (transparency.entsoe.eu), CC BY 4.0. Aggregated and converted by World Power Monitor; ENTSO-E does not endorse this site. (ENTSO-E Terms of Use plus CC BY 4.0 for listed data items) Data as of 2026-10-29. Yearly averages are computed by World Power Monitor from ENTSO-E day-ahead market intervals.
What This Does and Does Not Show
- Solar output peaks around midday, so a cheaper midday is what solar generation would be expected to leave in the price. But this page compares prices at two times of day. It does not use solar output, so it cannot say how much of any gap is due to solar. Demand, wind, hydro, imports and fuel costs also differ between midday and the evening.
- The ranking above covers the latest 12 months, 28 October 2025 to 29 October 2026 (359 to 365 whole local days per zone); the year by year table covers each calendar year with at least 300 priced days, so the years are comparable with each other but not with a single season. Sunshine hours and demand change through the year, so a single season can give a different ratio and a different count.
- Each zone uses its own whole local days, shown in the table. A day with any missing interval is skipped. Averages mix weekdays and weekends.
- These are day-ahead wholesale prices, set the day before delivery, not what a household pays. Prices are in EUR as published and are not converted.
- The 20% line is a simple threshold chosen for this page, not a standard. Zones close to it can switch sides from one window to the next.
Solar and Midday Prices: Questions and Answers
Does solar power make electricity cheaper at midday?
The prices are consistent with that. From 28 October 2025 to 29 October 2026, the average day-ahead price at midday (11:00 to 15:00) was more than 20% below the evening peak (18:00 to 21:00) in 40 of 45 zones. This page compares prices only, so it does not prove how much of the gap is due to solar: demand, wind and imports also differ between those hours.
Which European zone has the biggest midday price drop?
Portugal: midday averaged EUR 27.7/MWh and the evening peak EUR 121.9/MWh, a midday price of 23% of the evening price.
Why are evening prices higher than midday prices?
Demand is still high after sunset while solar output has gone, so the market has to use more expensive plants, imports or storage. The data here shows that the evening is dearer in most zones; it does not break down which plants set the price.
Will midday always be cheaper than the evening?
No. This page covers the latest 12 months, 28 October 2025 to 29 October 2026 (359 to 365 whole local days per zone). Sunshine, wind, demand and fuel prices change from day to day and through the seasons, and 5 of 45 zones did not clear the 20% line in this window. Year by year, the number of zones with a midday average below the evening average was 2015: 24 of 33, 2016: 26 of 33, 2017: 28 of 34, 2018: 31 of 35, 2019: 33 of 37, 2020: 32 of 38, 2021: 37 of 39, 2022: 38 of 41, 2023: 41 of 41, 2024: 45 of 45, 2025: 43 of 45, 2026: 41 of 41.
Is this what my household pays?
No. These are day-ahead wholesale prices. Most household tariffs do not change by hour, and bills include network charges and taxes.
Related
Cite this page
World Power Monitor. (2026). How Solar Pulls Midday Prices Down in Europe. https://worldpowermonitor.com/prices/solar-effect/
World Power Monitor. How Solar Pulls Midday Prices Down in Europe. Data as of 2026-10-29. Data from ENTSO-E Transparency Platform. https://worldpowermonitor.com/prices/solar-effect/
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