Loading data
A dispatch from the European grid
Switzerland has far less solar than Germany. Yet on a spring Sunday in 2024, its electricity price dropped lower than Germany's. One country's renewable revolution is rewiring the economics of its neighbours.
01 A Sunday in spring
Across central Europe, electricity costs roughly the same at the stroke of midnight. Around €55/MWh, roughly what a household uses in six weeks. Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, Austria — five countries wired together into one quiet grid.
02 Then the sun rises
On a clear spring Sunday, there is more electricity than anyone needs. Germany's solar alone approaches the country's entire domestic demand. Prices begin their descent.
03 1 PM. The floor falls out
Switzerland has far less solar capacity than Germany. Yet on this Sunday, Swiss electricity reached an unprecedented low, ten euros deeper than Germany's own trough at €135.45. The grid doesn't respect borders. When Germany's solar floods the interconnectors (the high-voltage cables linking neighbouring grids), Swiss prices crash too.
04 This isn't an accident
In 2024 and 2025, German electricity prices went negative for 846 hours. That is 35 full days of producers paying consumers to take their power. Switzerland had 529 negative-price hours. 89% of them coincided with German negative prices.
05 Why this happens
Electricity is priced at the cost of the last plant needed to meet demand. Solar and wind bid at zero because they have no fuel cost. When they produce enough to meet all demand, the price collapses. When they produce more than demand, it goes negative.
06 The duck is getting deeper
Power traders call this the duck curve. The midday price collapse deepens every year as more solar comes online. The evening spike sharpens as the sun sets and forty gigawatts of solar generation drain away by nightfall. One year later, the same kind of Sunday pushed Swiss prices to €262.
07 Five countries, five shapes
Germany bets on solar. France bets on nuclear. Switzerland uses hydro as a battery, absorbing its neighbours' surplus at noon and releasing it at sunset. Italy, still dependent on gas, remains insulated. For now.
Now you steer the grid
Drag the playhead below, or press play. The map tracks your position hour by hour across May 12, 2024. Every fill colour, every flow arrow, every price label is real data.
Scrub to 13:00, the hour Switzerland hit €145.12.
Hour
00:00