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Dept of Trade and Industry

Answer

Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which solar photovoltaic applications can be connected to the national grid via a regular socket; what statutory powers apply to such connections; and what assessment he has made of their potential contribution to meeting the Government's target of achieving 10 per cent. of electricity supply from renewable sources by 2010. [107479] Mrs. Liddell: Under the Electricity Supply Regulations 1988 (SI 1057 and amendments), "no person may operate generating plan in parallel with a Regional Electricity Company's (REC's) [Public Electricity Supplier's (PES's)] system without the written agreement of the REC [PES]". This includes small PV generators connected to a socket outlet. Technical requirements for connection of embedded generators are covered by Engineering Recommendation G59--"Recommendations for the Connection of Embedded Generating Plant to the Regional Electricity Companies' Distribution Systems"--published by the Electricity Association. Following discussions between the electrical supply and photovoltaic industries, we understand that the Electricity Association are shortly to publish a draft Engineering Recommendation G77--"UK Technical Guidelines for Inverter Connected Single-Phase Photovoltaic (PV) Generators up to 5kVA". In both documents it is implied that a fixed connection should be made from the embedded generator to an appropriate connection point at, or leading to, the distribution system. With respect to the second part of the question, I refer my hon. Friend to a recent assessment by my Department. This has been reported in "New & Renewable Energy: Prospects in the UK for the 21{st} Century. Supporting Analysis. March 1999. ETSU R-122". We have not carried out any specific assessment looking at PV systems connected to socket outlets.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

343 c415W; 107479

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Electricity generation Photovoltaics National grid