The Norwegian Ministry of Energy defines regulatory changes to allow excess renewable energy from power stations up to 5 MW to be shared within industrial areas.
Energy Minister Terje Aasland said the new provisions will increase the country’s share of renewable energy without putting pressure on the electricity grid.
“We believe the plan can stimulate investments in many new production facilities and at the same time help industrial companies reduce their energy costs by investing in their own energy production,” he said.
The new scheme will be part of the revised 2024 national budget and will be open to public consultation until February 3, 2025. The plan is for the scheme to come into effect on July 1.
“The scheme will be particularly relevant for PV systems deployed in industrial areas,” said Aasland. “Limiting the scheme to these areas will facilitate the sharing of excess solar power production for a number of companies, where this may be relevant. At the same time, such a limitation contributes to the geographical proximity between production and consumption.”
Aceland highlights the benefits of placing solar energy in areas where local consumption can absorb the yield. He also said it is beneficial to build new solar facilities in regions where existing grid infrastructure can be used.
Norway reached 597 MW of cumulative installed PV capacity by the end of 2023.
Residential PV systems under 20 kW make up the largest share of the cumulative total at around 190 MW, followed by solar systems with capacities ranging from 500 kW to 1 MW, accounting for around 100 MW.
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