Energy Droughts and Climate Risk in Mediterranean Renewables: Operational Insights from the E-DREAM Project
The increasing impacts of climate change are reshaping renewable energy operations across the Mediterranean, introducing new operational risks that demand targeted, data-driven responses. Within the framework of the E-DREAM project, the BEYOND energy research team has developed two dedicated digital flyers that shed light on a growing but still under-addressed challenge: energy droughts and long-term climate pressures on renewable energy systems.
Energy Droughts: An Emerging Operational Reality
Findings from the E-DREAM User Requirements Survey, which engaged 38 renewable energy stakeholders from nine countries across Europe, North Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean, reveal a significant gap in current operational practices. Nearly 45% of stakeholders report having no systematic approach to identifying energy droughts in their operations, while others rely on fragmented indicators such as meteorological thresholds, power output limits, or demand–supply imbalances
Stakeholders identified the frequency, duration, and severity of energy drought events as the most critical metrics, highlighting the need for standardized definitions that can support consistent risk assessment and operational decision-making. Local demand integration also emerged as a key factor, with 71% of respondents rating it as highly important for defining and managing energy droughts.
Without common methodologies, energy stakeholders face limitations in comparing risks across sites and technologies, optimizing storage dispatch, pricing weather-related financial instruments, and coordinating regional grid responses.
Read more in The Energy Drought Challenge flyer
Mediterranean Renewables in 2045: The Dual Reality
Complementing these operational insights, our second flyer presents the outcomes of the E-DREAM 20-Year Climate Impact Assessment and Stakeholder Expert Panel, offering a forward-looking perspective on renewable energy deployment in the Mediterranean towards 2045
While renewable capacity—particularly solar—is expected to continue expanding, stakeholders highlighted a “dual reality”: accelerated deployment alongside increasing climate-related operational challenges. Dust events, extreme temperatures, heatwaves, high wind speeds, and low wind periods are already affecting system performance, infrastructure resilience, and predictability. Saharan dust, for instance, can reduce solar output by up to 20%, while heat stress may lead to 10–15% efficiency losses in photovoltaic systems.
The assessment also revealed significant gaps in climate risk evaluation, with many stakeholders still relying on historical analogues or qualitative assessments that may not adequately capture future climate conditions.
E-DREAM Solutions for Climate-Resilient Energy Systems
In response to these challenges, E-DREAM delivers targeted climate services tailored to the specific characteristics of Mediterranean renewable energy systems. These include regional climate projections, aerosol and dust impact modelling, extreme event risk assessments, and decision-support tools for operations, maintenance, energy trading, and strategic planning.
A strong emphasis is placed on stakeholder-driven design, interactive platforms accessible to non-specialists, and training materials that support the effective use of Copernicus Climate Change Service data.
By translating advanced climate intelligence into actionable insights, E-DREAM aims to support climate-resilient investment planning and grid operation, enabling energy stakeholders to better anticipate risks, reduce losses, and strengthen the long-term sustainability of renewable energy systems in the Mediterranean region.
