The new draft law of the Ministry of Environment and Energy entitled: “UPDATING THE LEGISLATION FOR THE USE AND PRODUCTION OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES – INCORPORATION OF EU DIRECTIVES 2018/2001 AND 2019/944”, which is under consultation until the end of February brings major changes.
In summary with the new draft law:
- self-consumption photovoltaic systems are limited to 10 kW for residential and 100 kW for commercial consumers
- it is possible for consumers located in the same building to jointly install a photovoltaic system
- The possibility of participation of commercial consumers in the form of virtual energy netting (virtual net metering) is abolished
- Commercial consumers can install a PV system with netting of produced and consumed energy in real time and sale of excess energy
Specifically, with regard residential consumers , the main changes are:
- A limit of 10 kW is placed on the power of photovoltaics for residential consumers. It is noted that until now the limit was the agreed power of the supply.
- In case of installation of a storage system, the maximum rated power of the inverter of the storage system (in kilovoltamperes – kVA) does not exceed the rated power of the PV system (in kilowatts – kW).
- For the first time, it is possible for consumers located in the same building (apartment buildings) to jointly install a photovoltaic energy compensation system (net-metering) with a limit of 10 kW per participating supply. In the energy netting, under the form of collective self-consumption, Consumptions of common users in buildings can also be included. The new term for them is “self-consumers acting jointly” and their relationship is regulated by a contract they will sign.
- Household consumers can participate in a virtual net metering scheme if they become members of a Renewable Energy Community, a Citizens’ Energy Community or an Energy Community of Law 4513/2018.
Regarding commercial consumers , the main changes are:
- A limit of 100 kW is placed on the PV power for commercial consumers. It is noted that until now the limit was the agreed power of the supply.
- Commercial consumers can also participate in a scheme of “self-consumers acting together“, i.e. consumers located in the same building (apartment buildings) can jointly install a photovoltaic net-metering system with a limit of 10 kW per participating supply
- Commercial consumers do not have the possibility to participate in a virtual energy compensation scheme (virtual net metering)
- The 100 kW limit for businesses can only be exceeded in two ways:
- At least 15 companies, as members of a Renewable Energy Community, a Citizens’ Energy Community or an Energy Community of Law 4513/2018, can participate in a “virtual simultaneous energy netting” scheme with a limit of one hundred percent (100%) of the sum of the agreed power of the whole of the consumptions to be offset.
- Commercial consumers have the possibility to install a photovoltaic system with netting of produced and consumed energy in real time and sale of excess energy. In this case the power limit of the photovoltaic is limited to one hundred percent (100%) of the agreed power. In such a system the excess of photovoltaic energy is not offset, but will be sold to the grid. The selling price for PV systems smaller than 1 MW will be 6.5 cents per kWh (until the end of 2023) and for larger systems they will have to participate in a RAE tender to lock in a price.
It is important to note that the changes will affect new applications, while pending applications for a Definitive Connection Offer, as well as existing Definitive Connection Offers and Connection Agreements are not affected by the new law, when it is passed.