The Minister of the Environment, Energy and Climate has appointed Kristján Geirsson, Head of the Sustainable Resource Utilisation Division at the National Energy Authority, to the position of Director General of the National Energy Authority until the end of the year.

Kristján takes over the position from Halla Hrund Logadóttir, who has gone on temporary leave at her own request, due to her candidacy for the Althingi. The new Environment and Energy Authority will take office on 1 January next year and Gestur Pétursson has been appointed its director.

Kristján Geirsson appointed interim director general of the National Energy Authority

This summer, The Energy Centre advertised a competitive grant for solar cells that anyone could apply for, regardless of their legal place of residency or occupation.

As things stand today it is by no means feasible to produce electricity in Iceland with solar cells if it is to be fed directly into the electircity grid. If, on the other hand, users install cells to reduce their own consumption, the benefit can be said to triple, as the user saves on the purchase of electricity, transport and taxes.   
 
This summer, The Energy Centre advertised a competitive grant for solar cells that anyone could apply for, regardless of their legal place of residency or occupation. The grant’s maximum payout never amounts to more than 50% of the material costs, and is paid out afterwards, based on the invoices submitted by the applicant.   


The grant was allocated on a competitive basis, and the selection of applications was based on the allocation rules that accompanied the advertisement. The competition was very tough and The Energy Centre received 90 applications, which was far more than what they had budgeted for this project.  
 
It was proposed that The Energy Centre's grants would be mainly directed to where the interests of users and the state are the greatest. The order of priority for projects was this: Off-gridd  properties, users on rural rates and users in electrically heated areas.   
 
Due to the high number of applications, all the projects that were top priority received funding, but there were no funds to support other projects. The projects that received funding were therefore either Off-gridd or where electricity production is carried out with diesel generators, or both. In these locations, the solar cells reduce oil consumption and thereby the emission of greenhouse gases, which is in line with the government's energy policy and commitment. 

Allocation of solar cell grants from The Energy Centre

Björn Arnar Hauksson, Head of Data and Analysis at Orkustofnun, discussed the importance of data collection and analysis to support decision-making in energy matters.

Björn Arnar Hauksson - Major Steps Taken to Make Informed Decisions

Björn Arnar Hauksson, Head of Data and Analysis at Orkustofnun, discussed the importance of data collection and analysis to support decision-making in energy matters. At Orkustofnun’s annual meeting, he presented eight major improvement projects that Orkustofnun has undertaken recently. These projects form the foundation for the institution to better support the government's goals regarding energy security, energy transitions, and equal access to energy across the country.

Björn emphasized the importance of improving data accessibility to ensure better decision-making in energy production, security, and transitions. He pointed out that the lack of sufficient and timely information could lead to energy shortages, highlighting the need for regular and easily understandable data publication.

Energy Forecast and Wind Power Björn introduced Orkustofnuns’s latest analysis on the feasibility of electricity production and e-fuels. He emphasized that Iceland is presented with significant opportunities in developing cost-efficient wind farms that could contribute to e-fuel production. He presented scenarios comparing the efficiency of wind energy, hydropower, and geothermal energy, underscoring the importance of building new power plants to meet the increasing demand for electricity.

He also mentioned the expected wholesale electricity price by 2030, which is estimated to range between 7.5 and 10 ISK/kWh, largely dependent on water reservoir levels. Björn pointed out that Orkustofnun’s electricity price forecast, published last spring, was based on a supply analysis that would help predict future electricity price developments.

Data Publication and New Technology Björn also presented plans for significantly improved data publication in the coming year. Orkustofnun's new website now receives around 250,000 page views per year and offers various data, such as geothermal mapping, information on oil usage, and electricity security status. He mentioned that while data accessibility has greatly improved, there are still significant opportunities to enhance the dissemination of information and advice.

Electricity indicators are published quarterly, providing detailed information on electricity production, consumption, and security. Björn noted that the status of electricity security for priority consumers had significantly improved from last year, but that restrictions are anticipated this winter and in the coming year for interruptible consumers.

Vision and Next Steps Orkustofnun's vision involves a transformation of databases for electricity and geothermal energy. Björn emphasized that cooperation with domestic entities such as energy companies, Netorka, and Statistics Iceland will be crucial to publishing data within seven days, instead of the 16-month delay that has been typical in the past.

Additionally, Orkustofnun's new institution will place even greater emphasis on communicating information through user-friendly maps and visuals, benefiting both the government and the public in making informed decisions. This will also strengthen information regarding geothermal energy, particularly concerning potential supply, production costs, and demand.

Challenges and Opportunities Björn recognized that the launch of a new energy institution will pose short-term challenges, particularly due to changes in information technology and organization. He stressed the importance of minimizing delays in core project work to ensure that the quality of operations remains high.

In the long term, there are tremendous opportunities, especially in data analysis and information technology. With the new institution, it will be possible to achieve greater economies of scale and synergies in team operations, data infrastructure, and information dissemination, which will benefit all stakeholders in the energy sector.

Recording and Slides A recording of Orkustofnun's annual meeting, where these points were discussed, is available on YouTube.

Björn Arnar Hauksson’s presentation slides can be viewed here: Björn Arnar Hauksson’s Presentation Slides.

Major Steps Taken to Make Informed Decisions

The Energy Centre of the National Energy Authority has opened for applications for solar cell grants. Applications can be made through the National Energy Authority's service portal from 27 June – 31 August 2024.

Priority in the allocation of grants are:

This is a competitive fund and the selection of applications takes into account projects where use and production capacity are best matched. The grant never amounts to more than 50% of the material cost.

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Applications for solar cell grants