Magazine Archive 06 – 2024 | Down to the wires

Germany has seen a sharp increase in solar grid-connection issues and many distribution network operators are reaching their limits. Regulators are yet to approve shared connections for solar and wind projects so planners must lay new lines and install transformers themselves.

Connecting to the electricity grid serving Great Britain can be an exercise in extreme patience, as extraordinarily long wait times for new generation projects threaten national climate goals. Policy efforts are in place to try and bring down delays but a transmission network overhaul is required to realize renewables ambitions.

With the alarming rise in the rate of solar electricity curtailment in PV poster boy Poland in 2024, the transmission system operator (TSO), if not the government, is facing the need to invest in its power networks.

In the Netherlands, grid congestion is slowing projects and hampering development. Despite a robust rooftop PV market and the reliable SDE++ auction program, solar professionals have become concerned enough to set up a National Grid Congestion Action Program to promote smarter use and expansion of the electricity network.

Investment plans to reinforce the French grid are worth several billion euro per year. The aim is to increase current capacity by taking advantage of the colocation of renewable energy sources and the construction of stationary batteries.

Southern Italy is troubled by a weak grid, contributing to widespread curtailment and other issues but the national government is introducing measures that analysts believe will address the problem.

Data from Spanish grid operator Red Eléctrica show that renewables accounted for 64.6% of the nation’s energy mix in April 2024 but grid congestion and price “cannibalization” are starting to ring alarm bells. Aurora Energy Research estimates that 1 TWh of curtailed clean energy was not compensated in 2023 – 1.2% of the total generated – at a cost of €2.1 billion ($2.3 billion) to consumers.

The waste of excess solar electricity is a rising problem across Greece. Policymakers and grid operators are considering a range of strategies to find a workable solution.

The obstacles the Irish solar market faces mainly involve red tape, according to industry insiders. The country is heading into its fourth renewables auction support scheme, the results of which will be announced in September 2024.

Cyprus experienced an average daily curtailment rate of around 34% in the first quarter of 2024, with as much as 80% of capacity cut at certain times.