Investments in renewable energy sources Conference of German-Polish Wind Energy Club

Conference of German-Polish Wind Energy Club

On 28 November 2024, a prestigious conference organised by the German-Polish Wind Energy Club (GPWEC) took place with a focus on innovation in the energy sector. The event was not only an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience, but also a platform to discuss the latest trends and regulations in the area of renewable energy sources.

The conference brought together around 80 members, including a representative of the Ministry of Climate and Environment - Piotr Stępiński, leading experts, lawyers, engineers and representatives of companies from the energy sector, who shared their insights on the future of energy. Among the topics discussed at the event were the cPPA market in Poland, the planned changes to the so-called Distance Law and innovative solutions for an even more dynamic development of RES in Poland.

As an attorney at law specialising in RES, I had the pleasure of giving a lecture on ‘Cable Pooling and Energy Storage’, which was met with great interest by the participants.

Cable pooling as a remedy for problems in obtaining connection conditions

Cable pooling is an effective remedy for the difficulties in obtaining connection conditions in Poland. Thanks to this solution, regulated by law last year, it is possible to connect two or more RES installations belonging to one or more entities to the electricity grid with a rated voltage higher than 1 kV. This significantly optimises the use of grid infrastructure and reduces connection and operating costs. As a result, investors can more easily implement RES projects, even in the case of grid constraints, which contributes to increased flexibility and stability of energy supply and efficient use of RES resources.

Wind and solar - ideal partners

Although the law does not limit the use of cable pooling to only different types of RES installations, in practice it is most common to combine wind and solar farms. This is due to the daily and annual cycle of energy generation from these two sources. Photovoltaics generate energy during the day, while wind turbines often also produce energy at night. However, in the annual cycle, photovoltaic energy production decreases in the autumn and winter months, which are the months when there is an increase in production from wind farms. The opposite occurs during the spring and summer months, when photovoltaic farms operate with redoubled output and wind farms with reduced output. In this way, it is possible to feed energy into the grid from both sources alternately, without having to increase the connection capacity.

Electricity storage facilities - beneficial for energy generators and consumers

Energy storages are an important tool for both generators and energy consumers. For generators, energy storage facilities allow surplus energy produced by RES installations to be stored during periods of low demand and used at a later date, allowing for better production management and supply stability. In this way, generators can obtain higher prices per kWh by postponing the sale of energy, which can also help avoid negative energy prices.

For consumers, energy storage facilities improve the security of energy supply, especially in the case of unstable energy sources such as wind and solar. They allow a quicker response to changing power demand in the national electricity system, which increases system reliability and flexibility.

Conclusion

Cable pooling and energy storage from renewable energy sources (RES) are innovative solutions that contribute significantly to the optimisation and stabilisation of the electricity system. They enable the efficient management of energy resources from sources such as wind and solar, which increases the flexibility and stability of the energy supply.

As a law firm active in the RES industry, we are pleased that this topic, as well as the others raised during the NPKEW conference, are of keen interest.