A new pilot ‘mini generation’ project, launched by ESB Networks, has been welcomed by the Micro Renewable Energy Federation (MREF).
Under the the scheme, which opens today (Friday, December 17), farms and businesses can apply for access to the grid to export up to 50kw of renewable electricity.
According to ESB Networks, ‘mini generation’ is the term which applies when an electricity customer installs inverter connected generation at a premises for the purpose of producing electricity.
These generators are installed to locally produce clean electricity primarily for self-consumption. This helps to reduce the need and cost of purchasing electricity.
This pilot scheme will run for six months, according to the ESB, and up to 150 mini-generation applications will be processed as as part of it.
Chairman of MREF, Pat Smith, said the ESB Network pilot scheme is an important development that will make the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems an even more viable option for thousands of businesses and farmers.
He said farms and businesses that have solar PV installations together with transformer and grid capacity need to be able to export the surplus renewable power they are generating to the grid when they don’t need it themselves for their own businesses, particularly at weekends or at other down times.
He said that there are likely to be significant rules and conditions around securing grid access and that it will be important that these regulations are kept as simple as possible and are explained and communicated widely.
A viable payment level per kilowatt of renewable power exported to the grid also needs to be announced as part of any mini-generation scheme, he said.
The MREF said it will work closely with ESB Networks to resolve any issues that arise during this pilot phase, in preparation for the full opening of grid access for micro-generation of renewable power by businesses and farms.
The Irish Government will soon introduce a scheme to enable excess electricity produced by this type of generator to be sold back to electricity suppliers.