Configure11th April 2018
Solar installers in Scotland received a welcome boost this month as Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) confirmed that solar PV installations of up to 200kW will no longer need to provide costly ‘Statement of Works’ documentation.
The Solar Trade Association in Scotland has announced that solar installers in Scotland will now find it much easier to connect to the SPEN grid after the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) relaxed rules around the requirement to produce a Statement of Works for installations under 200kW. Previously, developers had to commission documentation to analyse how even small projects over 11kW might impact transmission loads at a national level.
STA Scotland lobbied SPEN to look at the actual data from a number of case studies, which showed that the impact on the grid of solar PV installations in Scotland was only modest and much less than previously thought.
SPEN decision to relax connection restrictions builds the business case for solar installations in Scotland
This decision by SPEN has a significant and immediate impact on the business case for small to medium solar installations in Scotland. The economics of commercial-scale rooftop and new build housing solar installations in particular will now be more attractive, allowing solar to play a key role in making Scotland’s buildings more efficient.
STA Scotland has worked hard to achieve this result and should be congratulated on achieving an outcome which could be hugely positive for solar installers in Scotland.
STA Scotland Chair Chris Clark said: “This is a breakthrough for solar in much of Scotland and it goes a long way towards removing one of several barriers to Scotland realising its solar potential. We’re grateful to Scottish Power Energy Networks for engaging with our members and for looking carefully at the evidence. As a result of SPEN taking a sensible approach to rooftop schemes, businesses and housing developers in Scotland will find it easier & cheaper to go solar. Developers, consultants and architects can now look again at solar as a solution to making their buildings more efficient.”
The good news builds for solar installers in Scotland
This is more positive news for the solar industry in Scotland, coming on the back of the Scottish government’s tough new building regulations, designed to improve the energy efficiency of Scottish homes. House builders are turning towards solar panels to help meet these targets, resulting in an upsurge of new build solar installations across Scotland.
As one of the leading solar installers in Scotland, Locogen is working closely with the house building industry to deliver solar PV systems that not only meet targets but deliver an aesthetically sensitive energy solution that adds value for home buyers. You can read more about our services for new build solar here.
With FiT payments available until March 2019, these announcements pave the way for an exciting year for solar PV in Scotland.