Sri Lanka tells PV owners to disconnect after nationwide blackout

· Energy · Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has ordered photovoltaic system owners to disconnect from the grid following a nationwide blackout on October 17, according to pv magazine. The outage follows a similar incident in February 2025, when high solar penetration was identified as a major contributing factor. The order affects distributed solar owners across the country. The case highlights the grid-stability challenges that come with rapid solar growth, and how operators may respond by curtailing or disconnecting rooftop systems during disturbances.

Why it matters：It is a concrete example of grids struggling with high solar penetration, a risk that regulators and distributors in many fast-growing solar markets will have to manage.

Key points

  • The nationwide blackout occurred on October 17
  • A February 2025 outage was linked to high solar penetration
  • PV system owners were ordered to disconnect from the grid

Sources (original reporting)

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