Energy regulator Ofgem has taken another step to speed up new connections to the electricity network. It has relieved all new projects rated below 5MW from the ‘transmission impact assessment’ (TIA), a slow and costly step in the connections process. The previous threshold was 1MW but network companies agreed it could be raised after analysis over the last year.
The new 5MW limit refers to export capacity, not registered capacity, so larger generation projects could avoid the TIA if most of the power generated is consumed on-site (such as in vehicle charging).
Previously all projects rated above 1MW connecting to the local (low voltage) distribution network had to carry out a TIA, which considered whether the new connection had an impact on the national transmission network (the ‘motorway’ of the electricity system).
The regulator identified several ways the 5MW rule modification (coded CMP 446), which was agreed under an ‘urgent’ process, would speed up connections. As well as taking a slow and costly step out of the process for applicants, it would free up network companies to more quickly assess projects exporting above 5MW that have a significant impact on the transmission system. Ofgem noted that the burden was still more disproportionate for projects that were not far above the previous 1MW threshold.
Solar Power Portal estimated that the modification would benefit around 400 distributed generation projects currently in the connections queue.
Ofgem noted the risk of “gaming the system”, if developers of larger projects sought to circumvent the TIA process by splitting out their projects to create multiple sub-5MW connections with an unforeseen impact on the transmission system. It said local network operators should develop a reporting process to see if this was a concern.
The change applies to England and Wales. The TIA threshold in Scotland is currently 200kW – raised from just 50kV last year, according to Solar Power Portal – but the transmission system definition is not the same as that in England and Wales. It was not included so the change could be made faster in England and Wales. Ofgem said it “can more appropriately be assessed by a separate future modification”.
