Why small is beautiful – Decentralized small scale solar power is the solution

Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) regional climate and energy program in the MENA region in cooperation with EDAMA launched a report about the decentralized solar power, with representation of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) represented by H.E. Hala Zawati.

Zawati emphasized the importance of the report and its recommendations on improving administrative procedures for licencing small and mid-scale renewable projects in Jordan. The Minister added that “Jordan is a pioneering example in the region and now is the time to reflect of the lessons learnt and build sloid energy strategies.”

The report highlights the socio-economic benefits of decentralized solar systems from international experience with illustrations on the Jordanian case.

“Socio-economic benefits for decentralizing solar power are huge, it's easy to deploy on rooftops for residents and small businesses, it can help farmers having a living and even relieves the national grid,” said Franziska Wehinger, head of climate and energy regional program at FES.

The report highlights the benefits of decentralized systems beyond the technical benefits for the grid, but also includes the socio-economic opportunities for the community. Some of these benefits are the ease of installation, fitting into the urban setup without the need of dedicated lands, income opportunities for families, more job opportunities compared to the utility-scale projects, and the economic benefits for the direct users.

After a survey with Jordanian companies and residents that are interested in deploying solar power projects, the report analyses lists challenges related to administrative procedures of small and mid-scale renewable projects in Jordan. The authors are proposing a package of best-practice procedures and solutions in order to make it easier for Jordanians to deploy solar power projects.

The panel discussions during the launch highlighted the importance of supporting small and medium sized solar systems, which will also strengthen smaller companies and consumers who are operating with solar energy independent from the traditional energy system.

One key finding of the study is that there is an urgent need in developing a standardized and transparent energy system between the three distribution companies in Jordan (JEPCO, IDECO, EDCO), which is accessible and understandable for every kind of potential consumer; this can then lead to socio-economic benefits for the Jordanian communities: Some examples of further recommendations on improving administrative procedures: an established online application system (one stop shop), transparency in providing information and proceeding applications, and reviewing the current guidelines at Energy and Mineral Resources Commission (EMRC).