The federal government introduced it should set up 2,500 daylight earnings villages” inside 5 years. Daylight earnings villages are a enterprise mannequin the place native residents spend money on solar energy crops positioned inside their villages and obtain dividends from energy technology income. Whereas the initiative goals to actively develop renewable power centered on profit-sharing tasks with residents, critics level out that attaining the aim is not going to be straightforward as the ability grid has already reached its limits.
The Ministry of the Inside and Security, Ministry of Local weather, Power and Surroundings, and Ministry of Agriculture, Meals and Rural Affairs reported the Plan for Nationwide Growth of Daylight Earnings Villages containing these particulars at a Cupboard assembly held on the Authorities Advanced Sejong on Dec. 16. Initially, the Ministry of Agriculture, Meals and Rural Affairs had deliberate to ascertain 500 daylight earnings villages by 2030, however the government-level goal has been expanded fivefold. Minister of the Inside and Security Yoon Ho-jung mentioned, “Daylight earnings villages are a groundbreaking mannequin that realizes carbon discount by means of social solidarity financial system,” including, “We are going to do our utmost to assist nationwide enlargement.”
To this finish, the federal government determined to ascertain a Daylight Earnings Village Process Drive below the Ministry of the Inside and Security and create devoted departments in native governments. Moreover, associated methods shall be improved to permit daylight earnings villages precedence connection to the ability grid.
Moreover, long-term low-interest loans of as much as 85% of photo voltaic facility funding prices shall be supplied. Native monetary establishments comparable to agricultural cooperatives and credit score unions will take part as coverage fund dealing with establishments, and the Native Extinction Response Fund shall be allowed to be used as resident self-contribution assist funds. In line with the Ministry of Local weather, Power and Surroundings, roughly 550 billion gained in authorities funds shall be invested subsequent yr alone to newly set up about 500 daylight earnings villages.
The issue is that for daylight earnings villages to generate earnings, they need to promote electrical energy, however there’s inadequate infrastructure to move it. Even putting in simply 1 megawatt (MW) of photo voltaic panels per village in line with authorities coverage would lead to a complete put in capability of two.5 gigawatts (GW). That is equal to 2 massive nuclear reactors (APR-1400). To deal with this, a number of GW-level transmission networks connecting manufacturing and demand areas are important, however the West Coast Excessive Voltage Direct Present (HVDC) transmission community isn’t scheduled for full-scale development till after 2030.
In the end, current amenities have to be used, however the Honam area, which has favorable solar energy technology circumstances, is already in such a critical state of grid saturation that new facility connections have been restricted for years. Because of this even after establishing daylight earnings villages, producing correct earnings could also be troublesome. Considerations additionally come up that social prices may surge dramatically as transmission networks, which solely should be constructed for one or two massive energy crops, would should be put in nationwide.
