The term Net Metering or net-metering has prevailed to refer to a self-consumtpion system with energy offset of electricity from Renewable Sources (mainly Photovoltaic) that feeds a consumption and in which the produced energy is channeled to the public electricity grid, while the consumed is also absorbed. the network. In each cycle of energy measurement a netting is made between produced and consumed energy
With the installation of a Photovoltaic (PV) system you can take advantage of the abundance solar energy to produce your own electrical energy in order to be independent and set the amount paid to bills of electivity almost to zero. In this way you will become a self consumer meaning that you will produce the energy that you consume and above all this energy will be clean and green energy.
This scheme, known as Net–Metering, allows you to use the green energy produced by the PV systems for your own consumptions and to use the grid as storage for the excess energy produced. The term “net” refers to the fact that you will be charged only for the difference between energy you consume and the energy that PV systems produces. And this refers to a 3 years cycle. In case that the energy produced by the PV systems exceeds your own consumptions, the excess solar energy is fed to the grid and it will be subtracted by the energy you derive from the grid at another time of the year (for the next 3 years).
The basic points of Net Metering in Greece are:
- All energy produced by the PV systems is used for the user needs.
- In case that the solar energy is not enough,
- without batteries: the user will also use the gird to extract energy
- with batteries: rest of the energy will be drawn from the batteries. When the energy of the batteries is not enough, the rest of the energy will be taken from the public grid.
- In case that the energy produced by the PV systems exceeds the used needs,
- without batteries: the excess energy is fed to the grid
- with batteries: the excess energy will be used to charge the batteries and when they are fully charged, the excess energy would not be lost, but will be fed into the grid
- For three years, the energy that you fed into the grid is subtracted from the energy that you got from the grid, so you will be charged only for the net amount of energy that you got from the grid.
In this way you can
- You save electricity costs
- You make yourself more independent from rising electricity prices
- You can keep track of your electricity consumption, which gives you an overview and helps you save energy and money
- You can increase the value of your property and protect the environment
Right to install photovoltaic Net Metering
The right to install a Net-Metering self-consumption photovoltaic have persons and legal entities of public and private law, who either own the space where the photovoltaic system will be installed, or have its legal use (e.g. .x. through lease, free concession, etc.) and have secured the written consent of the site owner.
In any case, it is allowed to install one or more net-metering photovoltaic systems in a common or shared property. The co-owners or those who have the legal use of the common or shared space or part of it have the right to install after the concession of the use by the other co-owners. The written agreement of the co-owners is a condition. For connection to the utility supply the owners of the horizontal properties are represented by the administrator. A necessary condition is the consent of all co-owners of the building, which must be proven either by a record of unanimous decision of the general meeting or by written agreement of all co-owners of the building.
Basic terms and conditions of photovoltaic Net-Metering
The basic terms and conditions for the installation of self- consumption photovoltaic system with net-metering, are as follows:
- The existence of an active permanent power connection to the grdi (not construction site) in the name of the self-consumer through which its consumption installation is supplied.
- The photovoltaic net meteting system corresponds exclusively to a consumption meter, ie to the meter of the consumption installation it supplies.
- The photovoltaic Net-metering is installed in the same or adjacent space with the consumption installation to which it is assigned.
- The interested party has the legal use of the system installation space.
- The interested party has fully repaid the electricity bills or (or has entered into a debt settlement regime).
- The supply of the self-producer has not been included in the Social Tariff
Power limits of photovoltaic Net-Metering
The power of any self-generating photovoltaic system with net metering can be up to one hundred percent (100%) of the agreed power of the connection to the grid with upper limits the following, since March 2023:
- 10,8 kW for households
- 100 kW for commercail connections
In case of single-phase consumption, the maximum power of the net-metering photovoltaic system is 5 kWp and the photovoltaic net-metering system is single-phase.
In a three-phase supply, the three-phase configuration of the connection of the photovoltaic net metering system is mandatory.
It is noted that the coexistence in the same space of systems of the “Special Roof Program” and net-metering system, with reference to the same consumption meter is not allowed.
There is no limit to the number of net-metering systems that can be installed by the same natural or legal person, as long as the photovoltaic systems are assigned to different consumption installations, ie to different supply numbers and consumption meters..
Installation area for photovoltaic Net Metering
Photovoltaic panels can be installed on the roof, roof, canopy, warehouse, parking lot, facade, shade or any other legal construction and on the ground. In pergolas, photovoltaic panels are allowed as long as they have a horizontal layout.
For their placement on a building or other construction structures or inside organized receptacles of industrial activities and with power up to 100 kWp, no urban planning permit is required.
For on-site installation, a small-scale work permit approval is required.
The photovoltaic panels can be placed in an adjacent consumption area (eg a plot adjacent to that of the house)
Read more on Net Metering
In the following speech of Kostas Mourtzanos, you can learn more about Net Metering, as well as see examples of implementation and the benefits of implementing it.
Learn more on What we save with a photovoltaic net metering
Read more about the Licensing procedure for the installation of a photovoltaic Net Metering system
The Helleinc Association of Photovoltaic Companies has also published a complete guide that can answer all your questions.
Visit the relevant page of HEDNO for RES & SITHYA Stations by Autoproducers with Energy Offset or Virtual Energy Offset application that contains all the information about the applications, the institutional framework, application file, relevant announcements etc