This text changes every month.
Current data is available on the website at the address:
https://ptpiree.pl/mikroinstalacje-w-polsce/

Micro-installations in Poland
as of November 30, 2024
Data refer to five DSOs associated with PTPiREE

In recent years, we have observed a continuous increase in the number and output power of micro-installations connected to the distribution networks, and in October 2024, DSOs associated with PTPiREE connected the 1.5 millionth prosumer to their networks.

The vast majority of micro-installations connected to the DSO network are photovoltaic (PV) installations, of which the dominant majority are prosumer micro-installations connected to the distribution networks based on a notification.

In order to facilitate access to comprehensive information for people interested in installing micro-installations, and also taking into account good practices, Distribution System Operators (DSOs) associated with PTPiREE in cooperation with the Energy Regulatory Office have developed “The Guide for a Household Prosumer“.

Micro-installations in distribution networks in numbers – as of the end of November 2024

Starting from October 2021, data is presented on a monthly basis. Previous data is presented on a quarterly basis.

Dynamics of the increase in the number and output power of micro-installations connected to the network by DSOs associated with PTPiREE since Q2 2017:

Since the beginning of 2019, we have been observing a dynamic increase in the number of micro-installations connected by DSOs to their power grids. The number of micro-installations connected by DSOs from the beginning of 2019 to the end of November 2024 increased by more than 28 times (2722%), while at the same time, the installed capacity in micro-installations increased by more than 36 times. In the third quarter of 2024, DSOs connected over 37,000 new micro-installations to their networks with a total capacity of over 374 MW. In July 2024, the total capacity of installed micro-installations exceeded 12 GW. At the end of November 2024, the total number of all micro-installations connected to the distribution networks of DSOs amounted to over one million 530 thousand, and their capacity was nearly12.5 GW. In the difficult epidemic situation related to COVID-19, DSOs in 2020 and 2021 connected nearly 7 times more micro-installations to their networks than in 2019 and over 5 times more than the total number of all micro-installations connected in previous years. Capacity of micro-installations connected in the period 2020-23 was more than 10 times greater than the total capacity of all micro-installations connected in previous years. In 2021, a record year in terms of the number of connections, DSOs connected over396,000new micro-installations to their networks with a total capacity of over 3 GW. For comparison, in 2023, nearly 190,000 micro-installations with a capacity of over 1.95 GW will be connected (166,000 less than in 2022). In 2023, there was a clear decline in the number and installed capacity of micro-installations compared to 2022. To illustrate the dynamics of the growth in capacity and the number of micro-installations in 2021-2022, the number of micro-installations connected in 2020 amounted to 303 thousand, and their total capacity was just over 2 GW. From the beginning of 2021 to the present, the number of micro-installations has increased by more than 234%, and their installed capacity in the power system increased by almost 316%. In November 2024, DSOs connected over 10,000 new micro-installations with a capacity of nearly 100 MW to the grid. It indicated a downward trend compared to 2022 and 2023. The downward trend may be due to the high level of inflation, resulting in higher credit costs and the suspension or postponement of decisions on the purchase of micro-installations.

To sum up 2023, the number of micro-installations in the network increased by almost 16%, with an increase in installed capacity by over 21 % compared to the end of 2022.

Annual increase in the number of micro-installations and their capacity

The number and power of micro-installations connected by the DSOs in individual quarters/months from Q3, 2017

Starting from October 2021, data is also presented on a monthly basis. Previous data is presented only on a quarterly basis.

Since the beginning of 2019, there has been a large increase in the number of micro-installations connected to the grid by DSOs in individual quarters. Particularly dynamic growth has been visible since the fourth quarter of 2019. In terms of the number of connections, the first quarter of 2022 was a record-breaking period – more micro-installations were connected (152,817) than in the whole of 2019 (100,212). It was also a record quarter in terms of the volume of connected capacity, which amounted to over 1,265 MW– which in just one quarter was greater than the total capacity of all micro-installations connected by the end of the first quarter of 2020. In the third quarter of 2024, the number of connected micro-installations decreased by more than 5% compared to the second quarter of 2024, this was still a lower level than in the individual quarters of 2023. In general, the whole of 2023 a significant decline was noted in the number of connected micro-installations comparing to 2022, which may indicate a further slowdown or stabilization at a similar level of growth in micro-installations in 2024.

Average power of micro-installations since 2018

The average unit power of micro-installations connected to the grid remains at a high level. In the period from 2018 to 2020, these increases were minimal compared to the previous year. However, since the beginning of 2021, we have observed that this dynamics has gained momentum. In the third quarter of 2024, the average power of the connected micro-installation was 9.96 kW and was over 3.28 kW higher than the average power of micro-installations connected to the grid in 2020 (6.68 kW). For the whole of 2023, the average was 10.11 kW. For comparison, for the whole of 2022, the average power was 9.68 kW. The average power of the connected micro-installation in November 2024 was 9.49 kW and it was lower than the average value in October. The record average power of micro-installations was recorded in December 2023 and amounted to as much as 15.91 kW. The high average power of micro-installations may indicate that after the change in the system for settling energy produced in micro-installations from 1 April 2022 and the abolition of the 10 kW barrier for micro-installations, beyond which the settlement coefficient for energy “stored” in the network decreased from 0.8 to 0.7, the interest in building installations with higher power has increased significantly. Increasing the capacity of existing micro-installations settled under the old rules is also becoming an increasingly common practice. It should be noted that in the case of the expansion of existing micro-installations, which were included in the statistics as existing at the time the expanded micro-installation was built, the volume of “added” capacity is included in the statistics in the month of reporting the expansion, which overstates the average capacity of the micro-installation for a given period. The current trend visible since the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2021 indicates the interest of prosumers in connecting installations with higher power than in previous years, which, unfortunately, is not a positive phenomenon due to the lack of the possibility of self-consumption of the produced electricity in the vast majority of cases and indicates the increasing oversizing of micro-installations.

Cooperation of micro-installations with the distribution network

In most cases, micro-installations cooperate with the LV network without any disruptions and without any negative impact on its parameters. However, under certain conditions, and taking into account the dynamic growth in the number of micro-installations, there may be problems resulting from the presence of distributed generation in the LV network. The risk of problems with the cooperation between micro-installations and the power grid increases in the case of individual or combined occurrence of the following conditions:

• large number and high power of micro-installations in the area supplied from one MV/LV station,
• large distance of the micro-installation from the MV/LV power station,
• high line resistance and reactance (small wire cross-sections, non-insulated network),
• low energy demand during periods of greatest production capacity (hours of greatest sunlight),
• expansion of an existing micro-installation by its owner without informing the Distribution System Operator – such cases become more and more frequent and require adequate inspections by the Distribution System Operator,
• changing the settings of the micro-installation inverter to other values than those specified in the regulations, which results in the micro-installation continuing to operate after exceeding the permissible voltage value in the LV network – such cases become more and more frequent and require adequate inspections by the Distribution System Operator,

It should be emphasized that the last two cases mentioned above (i.e. expansion of micro-installations without notification and changing inverter settings) are illegal actions that do not comply with current regulations. The effects of such illegal activities include threats to the life and health of other electricity recipients (possible overvoltages and electric shocks), damage to the devices of other recipients and damage to the electricity grid. Moreover, such activities have a negative impact on the operation of properly connected micro-installations, causing for example, their more frequent activation.

From the point of view of power distribution networks, the main negative effect is the risk of failure to maintain power quality parameters at a specific point in the network or in the entire LV circuit, due to the increase in voltage caused by the operation of PV micro-installations. Unstable operation of PV inverters may cause excessive increase in the long-term flicker index (Plt). It cannot be ruled out that with a further increase in the number and capacity of installed micro-installations, overloads of the LV network will also occur. Therefore, apart from activities related to the process of connecting micro-installations to the grid, DSOs conduct a number of organizational and investment activities in order to ensure the safe operation of the grid and the receipt of energy from micro-installations, and above all, to ensure the safety of all energy recipients.

Distribution System Operators implement technical solutions aimed at eliminating or minimizing negative effects related to the connection of a very large number of micro-installations to the distribution networks. These activities include:

• installation of transformers with increased power in relation to customer demand,
• installation/replacement of cables with conductors of increased cross sections,
• (if possible) shortening 0.4 kV circuits,
• changes in transformer settings,
• ensuring the ability to control the operation of the PV installations,
• installation of compensating devices.

However, it should be taken into account that in the event of line overloads caused by the operation of micro-installations, DSOs should have the legal possibility to refuse to connect the micro-installation or reduce its capacity in order to ensure the safety of health and life of other recipients, as well as the safety of the operation of networks and devices connected to them.