Laicas asks:
How many hours with negative day-ahead electricity prices will Germany record in 2026?
Closing Jan 01, 2027 08:01AM UTC
Negative electricity prices occur when power supply exceeds demand, meaning producers must pay to feed electricity into the grid (SMARD). In Germany, this phenomenon has become more frequent in recent years due to the rapid expansion of wind and solar power combined with limited storage and grid capacity (PV Magazine, CarbonCredits.com). The question will be suspended on 31 December 2026 and the outcome determined using data as reported by SMARD once data through and including 31 December 2026 are first available (SMARD - Download market data). Set 1) "Main category" to "Market," 2) "Data category" to "Day-ahead prices," 3) "Select country/bidding zone" to "Germany," 4) dates as appropriate, 5) "Select resolution" to "Hour," 6) "Select filetype" to "XLSX," and click the "Download file" button. In the downloaded file, see the "Germany/Luxembourg [€/MWh]" column and count all of the negative values in that column. In 2025, Germany recorded 573 hours with negative day-ahead electricity prices, up from 457 in 2024.
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| Possible Answer | Crowd Forecast | Change in last 24 hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 200 | 5.00% | -5.00% |
| At least 200, but fewer than 300 | 6.50% | -6.50% |
| At least 300, but fewer than 400 | 7.00% | -7.00% |
| At least 400, but fewer than 500 | 7.50% | -7.50% |
| At least 500, but fewer than 600 | 14.50% | -1.50% |
| At least 600, but fewer than 700 | 25.50% | +13.50% |
| At least 700, but fewer than 800 | 26.00% | +18.00% |
| At least 800, but fewer than 900 | 3.50% | +0.50% |
| At least 900, but fewer than 1,000 | 1.00% | -1.00% |
| At least 1,000, but fewer than 1,100 | 1.00% | -1.00% |
| At least 1,100, but fewer than 1,200 | 1.00% | -1.00% |
| At least 1,200, but fewer than 1,300 | 1.00% | -1.00% |
| 1,300 or more | 0.50% | -0.50% |