Today in the European Parliament, SolarPower Europe together with the Small is Beautiful campaign coalition held a high-level workshop on the role of small-scale renewables and high-efficiency cogeneration in Europe's energy system. The event was co-hosted by MEP Florent Marcellesi (Greens) and Martina Werner (S&D), rapporteurs on the Electricity Market Design reform.
MEP Martina Werner commented: “Small-scale renewable and cogeneration installations are key to succeed the transition toward a sustainable and decentralised energy system. The right market design is vital to ensure a positive investment environment for active consumers and SME's across Europe and avoid that they face disproportionate administrative and financial burdens. Therefore, it is crucial that we maintain priority dispatch and special balancing provisions for at least small-scale renewable installations.”
MEP Florent Marcellesi said:”The achievement of a net-zero carbon economy and switch to a highly efficient, 100% renewables-based energy system should be at the core of the Clean Energy Package. Small-scale renewables bring huge environmental, economic and social benefits, key to make the clean energy transition a reality. We cannot miss this opportunity, thus we must make sure that the EU's market design is fit for small scale renewables and establishes the right incentives to promote consumers' active participation in the energy system as well as the deployment of local energy communities.”
Aurélie Beauvais, Policy Director of SolarPower Europe, added: “A balanced approach recognising the benefits and specificities of small-scale renewable installationsis essential to drive a digitalised and increasingly distributed energy system. Small-scale renewable generation installations are also major job providers – in the solar sector alone, rooftop installations could deliver up to 150 000 jobs by 2021.”
In June 2018, 18 trade associations representing renewables, cities, SME, electrical installers and building constructors expressed their concern about the European Council's proposal to remove priority dispatch and balancing responsibility exemptions for small-scale producers and urged European decision makers to re-assess this proposal during the market design trialogues.
The Electricity Market Design Directive is expected to be finalised byDecember 2018.
