The legislation enables self-producers or self-consumers to install a photovoltaic system for their own simultaneous use of energy in their facilities, while the excess energy can either be stored for future use or sold.
The sale of excess energy is done through power purchase agreements, electricity suppliers and trading agreements, without intermediation.
The sales prices in force are:
- For photovoltaic power up to 1 MWp: The selling price €65.74/MWh. This price will be valid for part of August 2024
- For photovoltaics with a capacity greater than 1 MWp: They can participate in competitive bidding processes or directly in electricity markets through a Cumulative Representation Agency (FoSE) or enter into bilateral agreements (PPAs).
It should be noted that, for photovoltaic plants larger than 1 MW, if the energy poured into the grid is less than 1,500 MWh per year, then it is not required to participate in a tender, but is compensated at the price of €65.74/MWh.
Both legal and natural persons have the right to install self-production or self-consumption systems.
In addition, there is the possibility that the self-consumer’s photovoltaic station belongs to a third party or is managed by a third party, if the third party remains under the orders of the self-consumer.
The power of these systems is not subject to any limitation.
In case of installation of a storage system, the maximum nominal power of the inverter of the storage system (in kilovoltamperes – kVA), does not exceed the nominal power of the photovoltaic (in kilowatts – kW).
The main points of self-production with sale of the produced energy are the following:
- All the generated energy of the photovoltaic system will be channeled to the user’s demand.
- When the photovoltaic energy is not sufficient to cover the demand, then the rest of the energy will be drawn from the public electricity grid
- When the photovoltaic energy is surplus, it will be fed into the public electricity grid, and sold based on the contract price signed by the self-producer.
- The cost of the energy drawn from the network will be offset against the amount corresponding to the energy sold (offset in €).
Virtual net-billing
There is also the possibility for self-consumption with virtual simultaneous netting (virtual Net-Billing). This is a self-consumer whose consumption facilities are not located in the same area as the generating station and the electricity produced and injected into the Network or the System is offset simultaneously with the corresponding energy absorbed by the Network or the System and consumed in its facilities. Its stations must be installed within the district in which the consumption facilities are located.
Both legal and natural persons have the right to install self-production or self-consumption systems.
Generating stations can be located in any Region, regardless of where the consumption facilities are located. In addition, the consumption facilities do not have to be all located in the same region.
The main points of self-consumption with virtual simultaneous netting (virtualNet-Billing) are the following:
- All the generated energy of the photovoltaic system will be fed into the grid and offset in real time with the consumption at the user’s premises.
- Self-consumer installations normally receive energy from the grid
- From the energy drawn from the grid by the self-consumer, the energy simultaneously produced by the photovoltaic station is subtracted
- The remaining cost of the energy drawn from the grid (after deducting the energy simultaneously produced by the photovoltaic station) will be offset against the amount corresponding to the energy sold (offset in €).
Net-metering and net-billing differences
The main differences between self-production with the sale of the produced energy (net-billing) and self-production with energy compensation (net-metering) are:
- In net-metering the energy is offset, while in net-billing the cost of the energy is offset.
- In net-metering the upper power limits of the PV power station are 10.8 kW for residential consumers and 100 kW for commercial consumers, while in net-billing no limits have been set
- A company can install up to 100 kW of photovoltaic net-metering, while net-billing has no limits
- A company cannot install virtual net-metering photovoltaics, nor can it participate in a corresponding collective installation (e.g. through an Energy Community).
A special category included in this case is a self-producer with zero feed-in, who does not or will not send a surplus of the generated energy to the Grid or the System, in the context of a special condition added to the Connection Offer and the relevant Connection Agreement at the request of the self-producer or upon limitation when granting the connection offer, since only in this way is it possible to grant the station a connection offer. The power of these stations, which may also include a storage system, may amount to 100% of the agreed power of the supply of consumption.