From pv magazine Germany
Germany is currently widespread negative electricity prices, particularly during daytime hours when strong solar PV output coincides with low demand. Day-ahead prices for last Saturday published on EPEX SPOT indicate values at or below €0/kWh between 9:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m.
The German Association of New Energy Economy (bne) describes the situation as an “avoidable predicament” and is urging the government to implement seven countermeasures. “The whole situation is as frustrating as it is unnecessary. We would have ample storage capacity and other flexibility options available if these solutions were not being held back,” the association said in a statement, noting that the legislative amendments currently under discussion would not resolve the issue.
According to the bne, barriers to large-scale battery storage must be removed to enable faster grid connections and to shift surplus solar generation into the evening peak, when demand is typically higher and gas-fired plants set prices. “The Grid Connection Package must become an acceleration package for storage permitting,” the association said.
It also calls for better integration of more than 20 GWh of residential PV storage into market and grid operations, supported by a regulatory framework that avoids perverse incentives.
Further measures include making smart charging – and ultimately bidirectional charging – standard for electric vehicles (EVs), supported by smart meters and improved data processing capabilities at grid operators. The association estimates that EVs represent around 100 GWh of storage capacity.
The bne also calls for an accelerated smart meter rollout, enabling consumers to shift demand to periods of low or negative prices and ease grid constraints.
In addition, it wants rooftop PV systems to respond more strongly to price signals, including a more accessible shift to direct marketing ahead of the end of the so-called EEG feed-in tariff scheme. All generation assets, including conventional plants, should be fully controllable to allow curtailment during periods of high renewable output.
As a final measure, the association highlights grid digitalisation and the introduction of dynamic network tariffs under the AgNes framework. “The grid crisis must be overcome. With these measures, negative electricity prices can be significantly reduced, system costs lowered, and renewable surpluses used efficiently,” the bne said.
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