Modeling the Revenue Impacts of “Flexible Interconnection” on Community Solar Projects 

New tools such as “flexible interconnection” hold tremendous promise for connecting more community solar projects to the nation’s distribution grids.  

Flexible interconnection systems, monitor real time grid conditions and automatically curtail solar output when certain operational thresholds are reached. While these systems have been piloted in a few utility territories, their impact at scale remains largely untested. 

For community solar project developers, understanding the likely frequency of curtailment and its subsequent impact on project revenue is a crucial business consideration.  

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange effort, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) conducted an extensive modeling exercise showing the likely impacts to project revenue. The results are encouraging. 

Join us for a briefing from PNNL on their analysis, and  a discussion of its implications for community solar projects across the country.  

Panelists:

• David Gahl, Solar & Storage Industries Institute 
• Todd Wall, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory 
• Eran Schweitzer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory 
• Samantha Weaver, Coalition for Community Solar Access

Original Air Date: December 10, 2024