GRIDS

Due to its low-costs and scalability, solar will be at the core of the future European energy system and is set to generate at least 63% of Europe’s electricity generation in 2050 according to LUT University and SolarPower Europe’s ‘100% renewable Europe’ study. The development of a modern and robust grid infrastructure will be needed to ensure the integration of large volumes of solar PV in the energy system. Through our grids workstream, SolarPower Europe will be exploring how to integrate more solar PV in the energy system by answering the following questions and many others:

What are the challenges and opportunities for the grid integration of solar PV?
How will the future European grid look like in 2030?
How can we integrate more flexibility sources into the grid and develop local flexibility markets?
How can generation contribute to the future needs of the European grid?
How should the role of market player, such as prosumers, DSO and TSO, in the grid evolve to ensure digitalisation, decentralisation, and electrification?

Join SolarPower Europe’s Grids Workstream

SolarPower Europe’s Grid Workstream was launched during the webinar “Decentralised, Smarter, Greener: the 2030 European grid” on the 10th of June in the aim of ensuring that solar is well integrated into the European grid.

If you are interested to join the workstream, contact Naomi Chevillard.

Objectives:

Facilitate the integration of more solar PV and decentralised energy systems into the grid and accompany the decentralisation of the energy system, based on local energy production and consumption.
Foster the deployment of new flexibility sources such as grid intelligent solar, storage, electric-vehicle smart charging.
Improve energy system operation through a better collaboration between system operators and better planning of the grid.
Develop a climate-resilient electricity infrastructure and support the EU’s climate-neutrality target.

Deliverables:

Put forward SolarPower Europe’s vision and concrete proposals for Europe’s future electricity grids management by 2030, based on best practices and solutions to integrate and harvest local flexibility sources such as solar
Formulate policy recommendations for a future-proof European electricity grid and solar-based energy system, in particular with regards to the review of the TEN-E Regulation and the future network code on flexibility
Create a dialogue with grid operators and EU policymakers within relevant institutions such as ENTSO-E and the EU DSO body

"The transition towards a renewable and decentralised European energy system in line with the EU’s energy and climate targets will require investments in a modern grid infrastructure and ‘smart’ technologies. It will also require to take into account the potential of local flexibility sources, in grid design, development and operation. Solar – with installations of all sizes from small to large – is the perfect partner for DSO to make Energy System Integration a reality at local and regional level."

- Torsten Knop, Head of European Regulation/Projects, Innogy

Chair of the Grids Workstream

Webinar: Decentralised, smarter, Greener

Resources

News

Solar ground panels, monitoring software, and blockchain utilities among shortlisted innovations for 2nd annual Digital Solar & Storage Startup Awards

In order to facilitate the clean energy transition, and address the challenges that decarbonisation presents, bright ideas and solutions are required. Innovation has always been

14/10/2019

Blog

Digital Solar & Storage: What solar prosumers really need

This article is the fifth entry in SolarPower Europe’s 10-part blog series on ‘What’s Hot in Solar’. “Digital solar & storage can unlock flexibility potential from

25/09/2019

Reports

Digitalisation & Solar in Mexico

SolarPower Europe and ASOLMEX launched their new report ‘Digitalisation & Solar in Mexico’ at Intersolar Mexico on 3 September. Solar is helping to drive the

04/09/2019

Downloads

Decentralised, Smarter, Greener the 2030 European grid

Reaching climate-neutrality will require the addition of larger amounts of variable and decentralised renewable energy capacities: already by 2030, solar will represent 50 to 54% of the total power generation according to SolarPower Europe’s 100% Renewable Energy study.

SolarPower Europe launches Grids Workstream to accelerate the transition to a renewables-based energy system

SolarPower Europe has launched a new workstream that focuses on the future of European power grids, with the objective of facilitating the integration of more solar PV and decentralised energy systems, in order to develop a climate-resilient electricity grid infrastructure and support the EU’s climate-neutrality target.

Grid Intelligent Solar: How Solar Helps Stabilise Electric Grids

SolarPower Europe today launched its “Grid Intelligent Solar – Unleashing the Full Potential of Utility-Scale Solar Generation” report, which shows that solar is not only the lowest cost power source in many regions and crucial to meet EU climate targets, but also a reliable partner that helps to keep the grid stable and supports Europe’s security of supply.