Electricity production from solar power varies a lot, especially in a northern and weather-exposed country like Norway. That is perhaps part of the reason why solar power today only produces 0.225 TWh in Norway, roughly one per thousand of the total production. But if we are to achieve the climate targets and secure cheap power in the future, we must build more of it. A lot more, for the Energy Commission believes that we should build out 5 to 10 TWh of solar power by 2030. With an estimated 900 kWh of solar energy per square meter in Norway, we need around 55 million square meters of solar panels by 2030 to reach the Energy Commission’s target for solar power. Graphic: The European Commission Solar power thus accounts for a fairly considerable part of the at least 40 TWh the commission believes Norway should build out. – We are entering a new era that requires a comprehensive restructuring of the energy system, and we are running out of time. We are no longer talking about increasing the pace. We have to move up at a pace we have not seen before, writes the commission in its brand new report, “More of everything – faster”. We are talking an increase of 3,300 per cent, in seven years. In practice, this means that several million square meters of Norway’s land must be covered with solar panels. How many solar panels does Norway need to reach the Energy Commission’s target? Photo: BEN STANSALL / AFP In the north of Norway, each square meter receives about 700 kWh of solar energy a year, while the same figure is about 1100 kWh a year in the far south. This is shown by an overview from the European Commission. We base this on an average of 900 kWh. Most solar cells manage to utilize between 15 and 20 percent of this light energy from the sun and convert it into electricity. 15 percent of 900 kWh is 135 kWh. This means that every single square meter of solar panel in Norway will produce approximately 135 kWh a year. If we are to produce 5 to 10 TWh by 2030, we therefore need to cover between 37 and 74 million square meters with solar panels. This corresponds to between 5,000 and 10,000 football pitches, or 37 to 74 square kilometres, roughly one tenth of Oslo municipality’s surface. – Having said that, the facilities will take up more space in total than the solar cells alone. The solar panels are typically installed in rows with access roads in between. In this context, there is a slight difference between roof-mounted and ground-mounted installations in practice, points out chief researcher at the Institute for Energy Research, Erik Marstein. According to a calculation by PhD researcher Hassan Gholami and professor Harald N. Røstvik at the University of Stavanger, solar power alone could cover Norway’s electricity needs if we covered all our roofs with them. How on earth are we going to achieve this – in seven years? Still not underway with Norway’s first large solar power plant There are several planned solar power projects in Norway. But the first large solar power plant in the municipality of Stor-Elvdal in Innlandet has still not started construction. HERE: The solar power plant will be built on this gravel roof in Stor-Elvdal. Frode Meskau According to the plan, the plant will produce electricity equivalent to the consumption of 320 households, and cover 175 acres. The facility has received a licence, but has had to wait with construction due to winter conditions, the company Solgrid AS informs news. Still, the company has big ambitions. – Solgrid has big plans to build ground-mounted solar power in Norway in the coming years. We will build in the order of 1.5 TWh by 2030, explains the managing director of Solgrid, Kristin Melnes. Several countries have rapidly developed solar power in the last decade. An example is this extensive ground-mounted solar power park in Sonora, Mexico. Photo: RAQUEL CUNHA / AFP – Realistic According to the Solar Energy Cluster, investments of 5–10 billion are planned by 2025. This could provide up to 1.5 TWh hours of new energy to the Norwegian market over the next two years. But in the interview in December, the general manager of the cluster, Trine Kopstad Berentsen, said that unfortunately it appeared that many of these projects will not be realised. General Manager of the Solar Energy Cluster, Trine Kopstad Berentsen. Photo: Leif Martin Kirknes [LO Media]
Nevertheless, the group believes that the Energy Commission’s goals are achievable. – We think it is realistic as we know the market. Whether we reach 5 or 10 TWh by 2030 depends somewhat on how the framework conditions will be. Both for ground-mounted solar parks and for rooftop solar cells, we expect significant growth, says business developer Dag Tore Seierstad in the cluster. He says we are a little behind Sweden. But even at the current rate, we can reach 8 TWh of solar power production in 2030, Seierstad believes. Cars are parked under rows of solar panels at Disneyland Paris. Photo: ALAIN JOCARD / AFP Both ground-mounted and roof-mounted In order to build out so much solar power, the Energy Commission makes a number of recommendations: Separate ground-mounted facilities must be built, and solar panels must be placed on existing surfaces. In addition, it must be easier to obtain licenses from NVE and building permits. Among other things, there must be more case managers. It should be considered whether the municipalities themselves should be allowed to approve ground-mounted solar power plants. The tax regime must be favorable and predictable for companies. It must be opened up for local sharing of electricity from solar power on the local power grid. – Is four or five years behind Sweden Chief researcher for solar power at the Institute of Energy Technology, Erik Marstein, shares both the commission and the other players’ optimism for solar power. He tells news that there are few solutions that can help meet Norway’s growing power needs as well as solar power. To see why, we only have to look to Sweden. Erik Marstein, chief researcher for solar power at the Institute of Energy Technology. Photo: Philippe Bédos Ulvin / news – It’s a bit fascinating when we look across the border to Sweden. If you are going to build a new power plant in Sweden, which is as much the North Pole as Norway, then onshore wind is the cheapest, closely followed by onshore solar power plants. The Norwegian price picture is not particularly different from the Swedish one, but we just haven’t kept up with the times, says Marstein. – We are four, maybe five years behind Sweden, and Sweden built one terawatt hour just last year. There is no reason why we should not be able to do it just as quickly or faster, partly because there is now a completely new focus on power demand, and there is a different expectation of future power prices. Leader of the Nature Conservation Association, Truls Gulowsen. Photo: Ingrid Lindgaard Stranden / news Naturvernforbundet: – Must keep the tongue straight in the mouth Although the market is positive, leader of the Naturvernforbundet Truls Gulowsen hopes that any major investment in solar power will not come at the expense of nature and the environment. – The most important thing is that those interested in developing ground-mounted solar do so by following the guidelines that have already been drawn up and taking the necessary environmental considerations into account. We have to keep our tongues straight in our mouths when it comes to choosing areas where this will not have serious environmental consequences, says Gulowsen. Gulowsen says we must look for good combination solutions and areas that already have little other useful value. – Such areas exist, for example, co-operation between sun and grazing is an interesting way of thinking. Reuse of old gravel roofs and abandoned industrial areas are also good candidates for solar energy on the ground. At the same time, our starting point is that you must use buildings, roofs and facades as the very first places we install solar. Bård Ludvig Thorheim (H) sits on the Storting’s energy and environment committee. He demands that the government act quickly after the Energy Commission’s report is submitted for consultation. Photo: Benjamin Fredriksen / news Høyre: – Marching order to the government Bård Ludvig Thorheim (H) sits on the Storting’s energy and environment committee. He says the Energy Commission’s recommendations are very welcome. – We have long been eager for a strong investment in solar energy. It is very gratifying that the commission sees it the same way, and gives the government a marching order. Thorheim agrees with the commission’s recommendations to speed up development. – We must get a number of administrative rules removed in order to unleash the great potential of solar power. It can be done quite easily, for example with some regulatory changes so that you can operate with power sharing from solar cells on the roof. He believes the commission’s goals are very realistic. – We see that in Poland alone last year they installed 3 TWh of solar power. This corresponds to three or four large hydropower plants here in Norway. So this is possible to do, and Europe is running away from us. The Energy Commission’s report has now been sent for consultation. The deadline for consultation input is 2 May, and the government will only then follow up the report with any measures. OED’s plans to follow up the Energy Commission’s report In an email to news, State Secretary Elisabeth Sæther (Ap) writes that the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy plans to follow up the Energy Commission’s recommendations on solar power in the following way: “The department received the Energy Commission’s report on 1 February, and the report has now been sent for consultation. The Government will assess the Energy Commission’s proposal in the light of the consultation. At the same time, the government is already taking several measures to increase local renewable energy production. The ministry recently had a proposal for consultation that will better facilitate local energy production in housing associations and commercial properties, and is working with the aim of adopting the proposal as soon as possible. Furthermore, the government has initiated work to map regulatory barriers as a step in facilitating more establishment of local energy production. The Energy Commission’s report states that “There is great uncertainty related to how big the potential is for the development of solar power in the next ten years”, but points out that they believe it is realistic to develop in the order of 5–10 TWh by 2030. In NVE’s Lang Analysis from 2021 assumes 7 TWh of solar power in 2040. However, in light of the current situation in the power markets, there have been significant changes in the assumptions underlying NVE’s analysis. The ministry will survey the potential for solar energy production in Norway.”
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