Norway sets new rules for energy sector

The Norwegian Ministry of Energy is working on regulatory reforms that will allow surplus renewable energy produced by plants up to 5 megawatts to be shared within industrial areas.

Energy Minister Terje Aasland said the new rules would increase the country's share of renewable energy without putting pressure on the grid.

He said, “We believe that the scheme could trigger investment in many new production plants, while helping industrial companies to reduce their energy costs by investing in their own energy production.”

The new plan will be part of the revised state budget for 2024 and will be available for public consultation until February 3rd, 2025. It will take effect on July 1st.

“The program will apply specifically to PV systems deployed in industrial areas,” Aasland said. “Restricting the program to these areas will facilitate the sharing of surplus solar power by some of the companies involved. At the same time, this restriction facilitates geographic proximity between production and consumption.”

Aasland pointed out the benefits of building solar plants in areas where local consumption can absorb the output. He also said that it is advantageous to build new solar facilities in areas where existing grid infrastructure is available.

By the end of 2023, Norway's cumulative installed PV capacity reaches 597 MW.

Residential PV systems of up to 20 kW account for the largest share of the cumulative total, at about 190 MW, followed by solar systems with capacities ranging from 500 kW to 1 MW, at about 100 MW.

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