Analysis
Rooftop solar is outpacing the grid in three regions
Homes added more panels this year than the network can take at noon. Operators are asking some to switch off on the sunniest days.
Energy correspondent
7 min read
In one district, every third roof now carries panels.
On a clear day in June, the rooftops of three regions produced more electricity at noon than local lines could carry away.
For the first time, the grid operator asked households to curtail their own panels.
Too much of a good thing
Local networks were built to carry power to homes, not from them. When thousands of roofs export at once, voltages rise and protection systems trip.
The panels are not the problem. The wires were drawn for a different century.
Batteries would help, and so would cheaper electricity at noon to move demand into the middle of the day. Neither is yet happening at scale.
Who pays for new lines
Upgrading the local grid will cost billions. Regulators are deciding whether it goes on everyone’s bill or only on the regions that need it.
Topics
Mara Ellison
Energy correspondent
Mara covers power grids, energy prices and the politics of the transition from Brussels.
