EVN curbs solar feed-in in Lower Austria to protect grid - report

Jul 11, 2013 - Austrian utility EVN (VIE:EVN) will limit the amount of solar power fed into the grid in Lower Austria because the fast expansion of solar capacity in the region places a strain on the power lines, a company spokesman said.

"We cannot afford voltage swings," EVN spokesman Stefan Zach told business newspaper WirtschaftsBlatt on Thursday. About 14,000 solar power plants with a capacity of more than 100 MW are currently connected to the grid in Lower Austria, and further expansion would push the network to its limits, he added.

EVN has already curbed the feed-in capacity of 230 solar sites to 5 kilowatt.

Sector association Photovoltaic Austria has criticised EVN's decision, saying it would lead to delays in the solar expansion in the region.

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