AEDB initiates certification of net-metering solutions providers

KARACHI: The Alternate Energy Development Board (AEDB) has initiated certification of vendors and service providers for net-metering installations and to push distributed generation, a statement said on Saturday.

“So far, AEDB has certified 14 vendors for net-metering up to 1,000kW under category ARE V1; 16 vendors for net-metering installations up to 250kW under Category ARE V2; and four installers under category ARE V3 for up to 50kW,” the statement added.

The board is targeting 1,000MW net-metering-based solar installations by 2020/21 and 4,500MW by 2025.

Government expects due to enhanced awareness, better service delivery through prequalified installers, strict adherence to equipment quality standards and monitored focus of electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) for the promotion of net-metering; a large number of systems would get installed in the near- to short-term.

National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) issued its net-metering regulations in September 2015, under which the DISCOs were allowed to purchase surplus electricity produced by the consumers, and net them off against the units consumed from the grid.

Pakistan is gifted with high solar irradiation and now there was a clear incentive for consumers and businesses in the form of cheap financing from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and a net-metering policy that allows export of excess generated electricity back to the grid to earn credits, it said. The country still lacks net-metering market, even though the power sector regulator had notified the regulations in 2015. As many as 1,143 distributed generation licences, with the total installed capacity of a meagre 19.55MW, were issued under the net-metering regime in FY19.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in a report noted Pakistan can increase its energy security, improve energy access, and spur social and economic development with renewable energy.

Irena also recommended devising a comprehensive distributed power generation plan.

The global distributed generation market is projected to reach from $60.04 billion in 2017 to $103.38 billion by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 11.48 percent from 2017 to 2022.

The increasing demand for electric power worldwide and declining costs of solar technology are driving the market for distributed generation across the world.