With the Decree-Law no. 162/2019 publication, it became possible, since January 2020, to share the same energy production unit, which consumers and other interested parties can constitute Energy Communities for production, consumption, sharing, storage and sale of renewable energy, namely through  electricity purchase agreements, electricity suppliers or peer-to-peer energy trading schemes. This regulation aims to simplify licensing, by establishing new control rules, defined at various levels:

  • The production units for self-consumption (UPAC), with installed power  equal to or less than 350 W are not subject to prior control, which means it does not require any registration;
  • UPAC projects with installed power between 350 W and 30 kW, are subject to prior notification to DGEG;
  • Projects with installed power  between 30 kW and 1 MW require registration with DGEG and the exploration certificate;
  • And projects with installed power greater than 1 MW require a production and exploration license.

In this context, only UPACs subject to registration or license, that is, installations with more than 30 kW, will need civil liability insurance. Collective self-consumption units, namely condominiums or groups of companies in an industrial park, are required to have smart metering system, that is, an intelligent meter that communicates production and consumption data in real time with the electric network operator. This smart metering system obligation also applies to individuals with units over 4 kW. The new legal regime also allows the sale of the surplus production at a sale price that will be freely fixed between small producers and traders who agree to purchase of energy. According do the new regime, any change in the parties to the contract for the supply of electricity to the use installation associated with the UPAC or in its ownership must be registered on the DGEG portal. The above-mentioned Regulation also stipulates that the inspection of UPACs is mandatory every 10 and 8 years for projects with installed power between 20.7kW and 1MW, and for projects with power above 1MW, respectively. The installation of a UPAC with an installed power greater than 350W is mandatory to be performed by an electrical installer entity of  private service or by technicians responsible for the execution of electrical installations, under the terms of Law No. 14/2015 and Decree-Law no. 96/2017, and these entities must ensure that the equipment to be installed is certified. DELAB, as a company that has its activity in the energy efficiency area,  supports the implementation of solutions for self-consumption, and the development of projects for Renewable Energy Communities, throughout the value chain. We ensure the licensing, installation and maintenance of the Photovoltaic Plant, as well as the management and optimization of the consumption of the electric energy produced, with or without investment.

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