SolarPower Europe Pushes For Digital Solar

As the solar industry moves forward, a digitalized solar energy sector will be needed. For this to happen, regulatory changes will need to be introduced. In its latest publication titled ‘Regulatory asks on solar and digitalisation’, SolarPower Europe addresses 10 such regulatory steps which it considers critical to aid the transition to a fully digitalized solar offering and a digital energy system.

“We want to see policy-makers use digitalisation to develop better flexibility markets so that solar can properly take part, and accelerate the deployment of smart metering functionality in a way that does not discriminate against solar prosumers,” said Detlef Beister, Business Development manager at German inverter maker SMA Solar, which is the  leader of SolarPower Europe’s Solar & Digitalization Task Force.

Available on SolarPower Europe’s website, these 10 regulatory asks in summary are:

• Removing barriers to peer-to-peer trading of electricity
• Implementation of regulation does not preclude new technologies and business models for trading of and accounting for electricity
• Encouraging aggregators to compete with conventional generators in all electricity markets
• Use digitalisation to develop flexibility markets with more automated tools and standardised products
• Accelerate the deployment of smart grid technology
• Reward distributed energy resources such as solar and storage for offering grid support services
• Accelerate the deployment of smart metering functionality
• proposals within the market design package for metering and consumption data to be made available between DSOs, TSOs, customers, suppliers, aggregators and energy service companies are maintained
• Ensure including smartness indicator for homes in energy performance of buildings directive
• EU-level work on standards and interoperability must include solar PV systems, smart buildings and smart grids

These regulatory asks follow SolarPowerEurope’s seven commitments on digitalization. Later this year, the lobby group plans to publish an in-depth report on the market opportunities for digitalized solar.  

“The right regulatory framework is an essential foundation for the development of digital solar,” emphasized Professor Bernd Engel from SMA Solar. Adding, “We need policy-makers to accelerate the deployment of smart grids, reform incentives for network operators and reward the speed and accuracy that solar can provide in grid support services.”