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Discussion » Policy, regulations and tariffs for integrating customer-owned PV into mini-grids

Policy, regulations and tariffs for integrating customer-owned PV into mini-grids

Does any one have experience, case studies or references on policy, regulation and tariff approaches for integrating customer-owned PV into mini-grids? That is where a mini-grid, 100kW-2MW, is in operation and private customers wish to install grid-connected behind-the-meter PV systems. I am looking for information on dealing with issues such as quality of supply, ramp rates, sharing of integration costs, tariff setting and feed-in tariffs.

Thanks, Nic

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    Please visit SEIA for good information. Net Metering | SEIA

     

    Also find more info in www.freeingthegrid.org

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    Thank you for given me the opportunity to come back, even though I have been following the discussions on the quiet.

    Who owns the mini-grid? Is it a public/state, a community ownership or what? Otherwise integrating customer-owned PV into it may not be very different from net-metering or feed-in tariffs arrangements we find in places like Germany, etc. What one has to be careful with will be the capacity size and limit of the mini-grid to ensure that aggregated customer-owned PV systems do not overload the minigrid and eventually collapse it.

    Key regulation issues will include

    • how much capacity per customer owned system will be allowed and per day to be pumped into the minigrid?
    • Is the mini-grid expandable?
    • If the minigrid is public/state owned, what will be the government's policy regarding tariff; is it going to just cover the local operations or current expenses excluding infrastructure expansion and cost?
    • If the minigrid is private, how much tariff is necessary to cover investment and operational costs? Is the government prepared to provide some reliefs for the relatively less-endowed communities?

     

    These are the few regulatory and policy questions that come to mind for now.

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