Grid queue reforms will take ‘five years’ to kick in, solar sector warns

Moves to shake up the grid connection queue could take five years or more to implement, solar companies have warned.

Solar Energy UK (SE UK) says that while the majority of strategic objectives in the long-awaited government consultation on its draft energy policy Strategic Policy Statement (SPS) are a positive development, there is a lack of clarity on how they will be delivered.

In its response to the consultation, Solar Energy UK says it is vital for the government to detail its strategy for dealing with the current connections queue, which is currently over 300GW for the transmission network.

Queue management strategies being introduced by the National Grid Electricity System Operator, which are awaiting approval from Ofgem, will be central to minimising the current backlog and laying the foundation for a new process, says the response.

However, it may take five years or more to implement the new queue management milestones under the CMP376 modification to the Connection and Use System Code (CUSC), into contracts for connections, the trade association warns.

It adds that the lack of an indicative timeline for reductions in the existing queue is concerning.

The response also says that while a significant volume of policy documents have been released relating to the transmission network, the government seems to be adopting a “wait and see” approach to distribution level issues, which it warns is detrimental to the deployment of rooftop solar.

In addition, the response says the SPS fails to identify the importance of a stable and well-functioning planning regime to support the delivery of renewable technologies and recommends that its current priority for driving the net zero transition should be expanded to include the removal of barriers to deployment of solar and other renewable technologies.