Is self-consumption the same in all European countries?

self-consumption in Spain is damaged by excess taxes

El consumption it is recognized by the European Union as one of the most important elements, along with storage, for a transition to cleaner energy.

In addition, Europe recognizes self-consumption and self-generation as a right of all citizens, but how are the member countries of the union managing their development? are there differences? The Alternativas Foundation conference "The role of self-consumption in the energy transition in Spain and lessons learned from other countries", put black on white of this reality in Portugal, France and Germany.

The evolution of self-consumption is very different between countries, since their laws differ a lot. According to executives from Fronius Spain, “There is not much difference between the electricity and energy market between Portugal and Spain, the pool, the trading companies, the electricity companies ... the complex framework of the sector is the same but our neighbors have framed the consumption in a totally opposite way to us ”.

domestic electricity self-consumption

Own Consumption

Portugal

In January 2015, Portugal approved a Ministerial Order that developed DL 153/2014 on self-consumption. A regulation that greatly facilitates the development of small facilities. Up to 1,5 kW, no type of procedure is necessary, up to 200 kW, with an online procedure is enough, then an energy inspector certifies the installation and everything is in order. Only from 1MW a specific producer license is required.

Also in Portugal there is the net balance. The energy injected into the network is paid at 90% of the monthly market price; The Government has set as a ceiling that until self-consumption does not represent 1% of the total installed capacity (more than 20 MW), it will not apply no backup fee, although in no case will retroactive changes be applied for facilities that are formalized before reach that limit. "And finally, there is no maximum limit on self-consumption," he concludes, "Portugal has seen an opportunity for qualified employment and currently, thanks to its drive, there are already more than 1.000 SMEs that are dedicated to making photovoltaics."

France

Our neighbor is somewhat different, its regulations are relatively new. Although la Law for the energy transition of France of the 2015 set goals to increase energy renewable in the energy mix, and in one of his articles he already established a possible new deduction so that the French households could reducir their electric bills, has been slow to implement.

solar energy could help with self-consumption

In fact, France wants to boost self-consumption, in addition to promoting the sale of energy generated by households, which is bought by EDF. According to the French embassy: “France believes that there is great potential in the development of self-consumption, so in May of 2017 a regulation has been approved that regulates it, but we already have more than 15.000 households that self-produce their own electricity ”,“ with the new law a new purchase rate has been created, with contracts for 20 years for those who self-produce (with a purchase guarantee) And purchase fee of the surplus it is 10 c € / kWh for installations up to 9 kW and those up to 100 kW is 6 c € / kWh ”.

They have also implemented a subsidy for the investment of photovoltaic panels for five years.

  • For installations less than 3 kW it is 1.200 euros, 240 euros each year.
  • For mayores, 2.000 euros, 400 euros every year.

investing in renewable energy will increase global GDP

In addition, procedures have been simplified, for example, small facilities are exempt from having a sales contract for the surplus. Establish a simplified procedure for these small installations and obliges network operators to facilitate self-consumption. Another incentive is that some taxes are eliminated on self-consumption facilities.

Germany

Germany in the 90s began to promote self-consumption, because it is a country that attaches great importance to the concept of decentralization. In this way, there is many politicians that have joined the current that exists in the country in favor of renewables, and in fact at the beginning of 2000 a Law was approved to promote it.

In the Teutonic country there is no capacity limit for solar plants. In fact, there are already up to 700 municipalities that have recovered the local network, which they self-manage, since in Germany there is no REE As in Spain, which controls the entire electrical system, but the country is divided into four, in addition the distributors and marketers are not necessarily companies because the municipalities also function as electrical operators and manage their energy as they want.

Support for renewable energies was produced until 2012 through an adjustment scheme with relatively low premiums, between 8,65 c € / kWh and 12,50 c € / kWh, depending on the size of the unit, but in that year it was achieved the grid parity of the photovoltaic energy and the discharged energy began to repay at a lower price to which it costs to buy it in the network.

The report also indicates that self-consumption facilities with power less than 10 kW they do not pay taxes, and those with a higher power pay 40%. In addition, network connection procedures They are very simple, since no contract has to be formalized between the self-consumer and the network operator, who is obliged to carry it out as a priority connection and who cannot charge charges related to the network connection to the self-consumer.

Now it is time to compare with the regulations of consumption in Spain, do you see many differences?


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