Lack of grid capacity stifles solar systems

23.01.2025

Source: E & M powernews

The expansion of PV systems has increased enormously in the past year. At lunchtime, everyone is feeding in as much as possible, which overloads the grids. Experts named ways out at a congress.

How grid operators and solar companies can work better together to use as much solar power as possible was the topic of discussion at the Handelsblatt Congress in Berlin. On the one hand, electricity grids at all levels need to be expanded and on the other, alternative methods need to be used, said the panelists.

Oliver Koch, CEO of Sonnen, explained that on-site battery storage should shift some of the electricity to the times when people come home in the evening and consume more than at midday. He hopes that the amendment to the Energy Industry Act (EnWG) with the solar package will still be passed by the current German government. This stipulates that new solar systems must be controllable and oriented towards market-based operation of solar systems and storage.

Digitalization as a prerequisite

"It would be worse than individual criticism of the law to do nothing now," said Benjamin Merle, Chief Product Officer at Enpal. Otherwise, another year would be lost due to the formation of the new government. He emphasized that digital metering and regulation are a prerequisite for local producers and consumers to be able to react to the electricity price. "We were born out of necessity, became the basic metering point operator ourselves and are now happy about it," he said.

This gives Enpal the opportunity to market the flexibility of its customers in the best possible way. With the law, many new systems could be transferred to grid-serving operation in the coming year. In summer at midday, PV can already supply the entire German electricity demand, and this should also be transported to other times of the day instead of letting electricity go unused.

Private storage capacity exceeds that of the economy

Oliver Koch from Sonnen put the existing private batteries at 16.3 million kWh. This potential exceeds all existing large storage systems and must be tapped into as quickly as possible for grid-supportive control, which is possible with the law, he said. However, his company is coming up against the small-scale structures of the more than 700 grid areas in Germany in many places, which is why less bureaucracy would also be helpful.

Kenneth Marcel Frey, Executive Director Digital Power at Huawei Technologies, said that he did not see a slump in PV growth. Demand remains high thanks to improved market conditions and lower costs. He is not in favor of stopping or artificially limiting growth, but PV electricity must be used in a more grid-friendly way.

One possibility would be more self-consumption by producers, another would be an increase in electricity storage systems. The electricity is needed, but not all of it at 12 noon, he said. He wanted to work closely with the grid operators to ensure the best possible integration of producers.

Managing PV expansion to benefit the grid

The current completely uncontrolled situation, in which anyone can set up a solar park anywhere, does not make sense, said Stefan Müller, COO of Enerparc. He cited an initiative by the distribution network operator Netze BW, which identifies areas where grid connections are still preferable, as a better example. He said that steering new installations makes perfect sense. The Federal Network Agency is already attempting to steer new electricity installations to favorable locations in the grid with various high construction cost subsidies.

"We don't have to reinvent everything for the new electricity market design, we can also look to the right and the left," said Müller. In Europe, England has managed to implement a well-functioning system with Contracts for Difference (CfD), said the Enerparc board member. He believes that despite the election campaign, the Federal Ministry of Economics will continue to work on regulatory issues relating to storage, grid efficiency and flexibility.

Author: Susanne Harmsen