Key factors for successfully rolling-out distributed generation were discussed at the “First Technical Dialogue in the Framework of the Regional Technical Forum of Energy Planners (FOREPLEN)” on 1 October, 2020. The virtual event, organised by UN ECLAC and GET.transform, brought together 82 participants from 14 countries in the region, as well as from Germany and the US.
Speakers included experts from Energynautics, the National Renewable Energy Directorate of Argentina, and Tesla Energy. Tailored distributed generation regulation was seen to have made a difference in Argentina where 132 new registered users from the residential, commercial or industrial sector were able to enter the system as energy producers over the course of just 16 months of implementation.
Effective preparation and communication were identified as prerequisites to successful regulation and planning. Experiences from Germany and Denmark highlighted the role of data collection from geographic information systems and solar irradiance forecasting, which allow for precise modeling and generation scenarios. Insights from photovoltaic projects in Chile illustrated how a more impactful involvement of the private sector could be fostered by expediting communications between governmental bodies and the installers on the ground – or by having an earlier understanding of the available support schemes.
Expertly trained personnel was also emphasised as a crucial vector for successful preparation. Here, participants agreed that preparation could already start at the educational level, and should aim for particularly promoting technical sciences among girls to increase the share of women in the energy sector. The imbalanced representation that is still prevalent was reflected in the event, whose attendees were 70% male and merely 30% female.
Future expert exchanges from this Energy Planners forum will be dedicated to transformational topics like the implications of electromobility, energy storage, and adapting for system flexibility.
Find additional details on the UN ECLAC website (in Spanish): cepal.org