Sri Lanka’s National System Control Centre has asked all rooftop solar system owners to voluntarily switch off their solar inverters until 3:00 PM today, citing significantly low electricity demand during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year festivities.
The notice, issued on behalf of EDL (Private) Limited and NSO (Private) Limited, said excess solar generation during low-demand periods can create operational challenges that threaten grid stability. With most homes and businesses closed for Avurudu celebrations, electricity consumption drops sharply while rooftop panels continue generating power.
The request is voluntary and targets all rooftop solar users including residential systems. It is distinct from the mandatory CEB order issued earlier this month requiring commercial and industrial solar installations above 300 kW to disconnect from the grid between April 10 and 20.
The control centre said cooperation from solar owners would help maintain “a continuous, secure, and stable electricity supply across the country” during the festive period.
The dual solar curtailment measures highlight the grid management challenges created by Sri Lanka’s growing distributed solar capacity. While the government has been actively promoting rooftop solar — including through the ISA 4GW target and private sector installations — the grid’s ability to absorb variable renewable generation during demand troughs remains limited, particularly when conventional plants are already running at minimum output.
