Report

Adjustments to SDE++ for reduced grid impact

CE Delft conducted one of the initiatives in the National Grid Congestion Action Programme (Landelijk Actieprogramma Netcongestie) commissioned by Netbeheer Nederland and involving the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (Ministerie van Economische Zaken en Klimaat) and market parties. This study investigated and specified adjustments to the SDE++. The sectors studied are solar PV, onshore wind and industrial heat (electric boilers and heat pumps).

First, we conclude that grid impact can become part of the SDE++ by establishing separate technology categories (such as a new category for solar PV park with lower grid impact) and by adopting general conditions that apply to all types of projects (such as a different standard of connection for all solar PV installations). We then identified the following potential measures:

  1. Obligation to adopt alternative transport rights or capacity reduction contracts as general conditions.
  2. Combine solar and wind as a new technology category.
  3. Add extra solar to existing solar or wind as a new technology category.
  4. Small wind turbines ‘behind-the-meter’ as a new technology category.
  5. E-boilers only recommended if a heat pump is not possible as general conditions.
  6. Process-integrated heat pumps as a new technology category.
  7. Realisation with thermal storage as a separate technology category.

These measures can also be implemented in the possible successor to the SDE++. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving) have been engaged in further research on these adjustments in the past few months and will continue this research in the coming months. These adjustments will allow for more sustainable projects to be realised in the Netherlands and for the network for sectors with less flexibility to be strengthened.

The letter to the Lower House opening SDE++ 2024 states that two adjustments will be included in the SDE++: process integrated heat pumps and heat storage. The ministry also indicates it is also exploring a combination of solar and wind and a requirement for alternative transmission rights for the 2025 SDE++. The letter to the Lower House can be found at: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/kamerstukken/2024/03/01/kamerbrief-sde-openstelling-2024

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