National Contact Point for Renewable Energy Sources

Ensuring connection to the heating grid is a stage of the investment and construction process that directly precedes obtaining a building permit for a renewable energy installation (RES). Connection to the grid enables the delivery of heat produced in the RES installation to its recipients, and thus its sale.

It should be noted that the investor may simultaneously apply for both the connection conditions to the heating grid and the building permit. However, in the case of a building where heat is intended to be used for heating or domestic hot water purposes, the application for a building permit must be accompanied by a statement from a designer holding construction qualifications in the specialty referred to in Article 14(1)(4)(b) of the Construction Law, confirming the possibility of connecting the designed building to the existing heating grid, in accordance with the conditions specified in Article 7b of the Energy Law. The content of the required statement is specified in the regulation. Therefore, in such cases, the investor should verify the technical conditions for heat supply from the system in the area where the RES installation is to be located before submitting the building permit application.

The connection process consists of the following elements:

• Obtaining connection conditions from the heating grid operator
• Signing a connection agreement
• Signing a heat distribution and sales agreement

Connection conditions are a type of document issued by the distribution or transmission system operator specifying the technical details and costs related to the connection of the RES installation. They also constitute the operator’s commitment to sign a connection agreement with the investor, under which the installation will be connected to the grid. The connection conditions thus allow for a "temporary reservation of space in the grid" for the given RES installation project.

The application is submitted to the heating grid system operator who owns the grid to which the investor intends to connect.

The application must include:

• Identification of the applicant and their address
• The request content, i.e., issuance of connection conditions for a specific RES installation project
• Specification of the type and achievable parameters of the heat carrier, including pressure, temperature, physicochemical properties of the heat carrier supplied to the grid, and permissible impurities in the heat carrier returned from the grid to the heat source
• Specification of the maximum and minimum thermal power that can be supplied from the heat source to the heating grid, and if this power is to be achieved in stages – a schedule of implementation and thermal power for each stage
• Technical characteristics of the heat source, including data for each development stage of the source:
  a) Technological layout of the heat source and efficiency of heat-generating devices
  b) Heat quantity regulation system and characteristics of devices regulating flow rate and temperature of the heat carrier
  c) Measurement and settlement system and characteristics of devices measuring the quantity and parameters of the heat carrier supplied from the heat source to the grid
  d) Maximum and minimum efficiency of the water treatment installation supplying water to the heating company or heat distributor for filling the heating grid and consumer installations, and for replenishing heat carrier losses
• Proposed start date for heat supply and conditions of supply
• Document confirming legal title to use the facility
• Development plan or situational sketch showing the location of the facility in relation to the existing heating grid and other infrastructure
• Assessment of the impact of the connected source on the operation of the heating grid system

After the investor submits the application for connection conditions, the operator analyzes whether technical and economic possibilities exist for connecting the generation unit.

According to the Regulation of the Minister of Energy of 18 May 2017 on the detailed scope of obligations and technical conditions for the purchase of heat from renewable energy sources and conditions for connecting installations to the grid (Journal of Laws 2017, item 1084), the installation may be connected to the grid if:

• Rational use of heat is ensured, and the installation’s technological system and connection grid allow for proper operation and control of the heating grid
• Conditions specified in regulatory tables reflecting the operating characteristics of the installation and other sources cooperating with the grid are met
• Adequate efficiency of the water treatment installation is ensured, and water quality requirements for filling the grid and replenishing heat carrier losses are met (in case of heat supply via heat carrier flow)
• Parameters of the heat carrier and quantity of heat supplied to the grid are recorded and controlled, including remote monitoring and control of these parameters and remote control of the installation’s operation (in case of heat supply via heat carrier flow)
• Appropriate technical parameters of the heat exchanger through which heat is transferred to the grid are ensured, including its location and method of integration with the heating grid (if heat is supplied via a heat exchanger)
• Requirements for the measurement and settlement system, heat quantity regulation system, and installation locations are met

The processing time for the application for connection conditions is 3 months (Article 7(8g3)(2) of the Energy Law).

Connection conditions are valid for 2 years from the date of delivery.

During the validity period, the conditions constitute a conditional obligation of the energy company engaged in heat transmission or distribution to sign a connection agreement.

The connection cost is determined based on the actual expenditures of the energy company for connecting the installation.

An exception applies to RES installations operating as cogeneration units with an installed electric capacity below 1 MW, for which the connection fee is half of the amount determined based on actual expenditures.

Unlike connection to the electricity grid, the investor is not required to pay an advance fee for the issuance of connection conditions.

In the event of a refusal to issue connection conditions, the investor may submit an application for case review to the President of the Energy Regulatory Office (URE), who, pursuant to Article 8 of the Energy Law, may oblige the operator to conclude a connection agreement.

Heating grid operators decide independently on the method and form of submitting the application. This information is usually available on their websites, so it is recommended to verify the possibility of electronic submission before filing the application.

The connection agreement constitutes the legal basis for connecting the investment to the heating grid. It is a contract concluded between the heating grid system operator and the investor, which establishes the obligation to carry out connection works for the generation source, in accordance with the specifications defined in the connection conditions.

To implement this task, both parties undertake to perform works aimed at connecting the generation source to the heating grid. In practice, the essential element of the connection agreement is the operator’s execution of the heating grid reconstruction and construction of the connection to enable the reception of energy generated by the installation. The main obligation of the producer, on the other hand, is to build the generation source and cooperate with the operator in the implementation of the connection tasks.

A significant facilitation for the investor is the obligation to purchase heat produced in a RES installation, as described in Article 116 of the RES Act. This obligation applies except in cases where an efficient heating system, as defined in Article 7b(4) of the Energy Law, operates throughout the entire area of the heating grid.

The obligation to purchase heat is fulfilled by the company engaged in heat trading or production and sale to end users within the area of the given heating grid.

Thanks to this obligation, an investor producing heat in a geothermal installation does not need to search for a buyer independently. The obligation of the heating company to purchase heat relieves the investor of this responsibility, although the investor may still choose to sell the heat to another entity of their choice.