Sept. 10, 2015
Press release - PV to be building block of future power systems - 10 september 2015
Photovoltaics to be a building block of future power systems!
Early adaptation of power system design and increased stakeholders' cooperation
will make the system integration of massive amounts of photovoltaics (PV) mutually
beneficial, a new report by the European Photovoltaic Technology Platform finds
In recent years, PV has experienced a remarkable growth in Europe. On average
this technology already meets more than 3% of the EU's electricity needs, and
during some exceptional days PV plants have covered 50% of the instantaneous
German power consumption.
Like some other renewable energy technologies, PV is decentralised, variable and
non-synchronous. Hence, it is completely different from the incumbent
technologies that our old power system has been designed for.
"First of al , our study shows that there is a need to harmonise and improve the
existing methods to quantify the current and potential level of PV in power grids"
- said Pierre-Jean Alet, leader of the Grid Integration Working Group of the EU PV
Technology Platform.
"Secondly, we prove that there are many technical solutions to increase the grid
hosting capacity, some of which imply the use of smart PV capabilities like
production adjustments to support grid frequency and voltage. But such solutions
must be designed via close collaboration between the PV industry and other
power sector stakeholders and must be underpinned by revised regulations and
market rules" - Mr Alet continued.
"This evolution is driving a rethink of planning and operation rules for power grids,
which can make more efficient and flexible use of the power infrastructure. The
earlier the system adjusts to a new decentralised approach, the cheaper the
evolution wil be" - he concluded.
This new EU PV Technology Platform analysis is available here and wil be presented
during the plenary session between 10:30 and 12:00 on Friday 18 September at the
EU PVSEC in Hamburg.