News

Solar power boom continues – solar parks covered more than half of electricity consumption over Midsummer holidays

07.07.2022

In June, electricity producers connected to Elektrilevi supplied nearly 89,2 GWh to the grid. Compared to last June, this was an increase of nearly 13,3 GWh (18%), covering the annual consumption of approximately 4030 households. Production decreased somewhat compared to May 3,2 GWh. Approximately 85% of total production was solar power. The remaining 15% came primarily from natural gas, wind and, to a lesser extent, from oil shale.

In terms of numbers, the long and scorching Midsummer holidays were especially outstanding. In May, for the first time ever, the electricity producers in Elektrilevi’s network covered more than half of the total consumption during the midday hours of two days. On Midsummer (24 June), however, the producers exceeded the 60% mark (up to 62.4%) for four hours due to the combination of sunny weather and lower consumption levels arising from the holidays. The 50% mark was exceeded on four consecutive days (23 to 26 June, i.e. from Victory Day to the end of the week).

By the end of June, electricity was produced in Elektrilevi’s network at a total of 12,808 consumption points (additional 3878 producers compared to June 2021), of which 5580 were micro-producers (capacity of up to 15 kW), including 295 users of nano-generating units and 7228 electricity producers (capacity of more than 15 kW). As of 30 June, the total electricity generation capacity in the network was 545.5 MW, including 446.7 MW from solar power plants.

In the second quarter of 2022 (April-June), Elektrilevi received a total of 3218 connection applications from electricity producers, which is 2437 applications more than same time last year, i.e. the number of connection applications has increased more than four times.

The most popular option continues to be connection as a micro-producer, i.e. a solar power plant with a capacity of up to 15 kilowatts (kW). While in 2021 nearly 600 micro-producers joined Elektrilevi, the number of new micro-producers who have joined in the six months of 2022 is 1165. Of the 629 micro-producers who joined in the second quarter of 2022, 70 were users of nano-generating units (capacity of less than 0.8 kW). New electricity producers (capacity of more than 15 kW) who joined in the second quarter of 2022 totalled 745 (with a total capacity of 36 MW).

“It is a pleasure to see that the interest of Estonians in solar energy has not subsided,” said Mihkel Härm, Chairman of the Management Board of Elektrilevi. “For it to be possible to sell more and more renewable electricity to the grid, we have to increase the grid’s transmission capacity. Nearly 300 million euros will need to be invested in the power grid in five years. This would allow micro-producers to connect their solar power plants across Estonia to the grid at a reasonable cost and thus increase the supply of green electricity,” Härm added.

The distribution of the 1051 connection applications submitted in June is as follows:

  • electricity producers producing over 15 kW: 201 applications with a total capacity of 69.2 MW;
  • micro-producers, i.e. those producing up to 15 kW: 850 applications with a total capacity of 9.9 MW.
  • The number of connection contracts entered into in May was 566, including:

  • electricity producers producing over 15 kW: 59 contracts with a total capacity of 18.8 MW;
  • micro-producers, i.e. those producing up to 15 kW: 507 contracts with a total capacity of 5.8 MW.
  • In June, network connections were completed for a total of 741 electricity producers, including:

  • electricity producers producing over 15 kW: 64 producers with a total capacity of 11.6 MW;
  • micro-producers, i.e. those producing up to 15 kW: 677 producers with a total capacity of 7.7 MW.
  • See Elektrilevi’s map of available capacities HERE.