**Breaking Down Interconnection Challenges for Solar Projects: What Homeowners Should Know**
As someone passionate about the rapid growth of solar energy, I find it both encouraging and concerning to see the incredible surge in renewable energy projects awaiting grid interconnection. At the end of 2023, a staggering 1,100 GW of utility-scale solar projects and 1,000 GW of battery storage projects sat in interconnection queues. However, only a small fraction of these projects is expected to move forward in 2024, with just 31 GW of solar and 15 GW of battery storage making it to commercial operation. These figures raise an important question: what’s holding back the rest?
One of the largest barriers to these projects reaching completion is the cost of network upgrades. This issue doesn’t just affect large-scale solar companies—it also indirectly impacts residential solar adoption. Let’s dive deeper into the barriers and potential solutions, and how they could influence homeowners considering solar panels for their home.
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### **Why Network Upgrade Costs Are a Bottleneck for Solar Expansion**
When it comes to connecting new solar projects to the electrical grid, project developers face two primary costs:
1. **Local Interconnection Costs**: These represent the expenses incurred at the immediate point of
Original Article: https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/01/17/grid-connection-barriers-and-solutions-for-utility-scale-renewables/
