Traffic jam on power grid

Grid congestion (overcrowded electrical grid) sometimes delays solar energy projects. Municipalities can help connect projects to the grid more often and faster. How? Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO) gives 7 tips to prevent overloading in the future.

With grid congestion, the earlier you get there, the more options you have. Congestion is like a real traffic jam, according to the report 'Finding Connection for Solar Energy'. Sometimes you have no choice but to patiently connect. And sometimes you can still get around the congestion. For initiators of solar energy projects it is increasingly difficult to connect their projects to the grid. It takes longer before the project can start or the project does not even go ahead.

Prevent grid congestion

The best thing to do is to prevent future grid congestion. The tips tell what municipalities can do:

1. Inform potential solar project initiators before they start their plans about the situation on the power grid.
2. Ensure insight into the grid situation: inform the grid operator about the already known projects, but also about plans for new projects.
3. Support initiators: bring parties together, map subsidy schemes and see what else is needed. Show where initiators can get technical, financial and legal knowledge.
4. Help initiators find technical solutions, regional players and experts.
5. Don't just help the projects that are stalled now, but look ahead to how to avoid grid congestion in the future.
6. Spatial planning should focus on preventing grid congestion, for example by coordinating energy generation and demand locally. No more electricity will then be generated than needed and thus 'transported' on the grid.  Accelerate and simplify the permit process for the reinforcement (expansion) of the electricity network. Ensure there is sufficient capacity and expertise within the team responsible for this. Put the importance of infrastructure on the agenda internally.

The complete report with real-life examples and details on  this and other advice can be found on RVO's theme page on grid capacity and grid congestion.