Although this is a continuation from last article on this theme let me just do a small recapitulation on this subject matter.
A new law has been approved by the Spanish Government that reduces the chances of any consumers at home to produce their own electricity from a renewable source.
Any consumer who wants to produce their own electricity at home with a solar panel should be aware of it.
Main points.
Anyone failing to register a solar installation that is connected to national grid may pay a penalty that ranges from 6 to 60 million Euros.
- It justifies the so-called "sun toll" or "sun tax". Consumers who have installed solar cell panels have to pay a "toll" for each kilowatt/hour (kWh) which is consumed using his own installation. The decree states that this is to compensates for the support received from the national grid when the installation does not generate sufficient energy consumption and the user requires to obtain electricity from the national grid, but it is applied even to the energy that do not access the network. In practice is a double charge because the installation itself pays a fixed toll in terms of its power if it is connected to the network, and it is forced to pay again for the self-consumed energy, even if that energy does not has access to the network
- It impedes its installation by introducing complex administrative procedures. So that an installation that can be installed in two or three days, it requires nine months and hundreds of Euros to be authorized. Failure to comply, the penalties ranges from 6 to 60 million Euros.
- Any surplus energy is Zero compensated. The consumer that produces more energy than it uses and is in the need to sale it to the electrical system it will be almost impossible, unless you become an entrepreneur and sell it in the electrical marketplace under the same rules as, for example, a nuclear power station.
Not all are bad news.
Not all are bad news in this decree as it exempts the toll to installations of less than 10 kilowatts (kW) in principle an act of kindness for the self consumer citizens, the typical consumers' households. However, it is thought that this measure is to reduce the political influences that the decree may have in an election period (don't forget that there are general election in December) as this exemption appears in a transition provision in the decree and could disappear at any time. In addition, the decree expressly prohibits Community of Owners consumption, so it would not be possible to install these facilities in a neighbouring community.
How it affects us and what we can do.
The law reduces in practice the profitability of any auto consumption installations, so that only people and businesses committed with clean energy may really opt to install electrical solar panels in Spain.
The renewable sector is again negatively affected, particularly electrical solar panels that expected a standard regulation but not a totally unconstructive one. At the end of the day, the government should be happy to liberate from paying premiums to the electrical companies for the first time in history, and from its planning function: and we the ordinary citizens may now decide what energy sources we can use, in addition to the possible savings on energy independently of the hurdles that the Spanish Government has put on our green horizon. Many people want to improve the enormous positive impact on the environment, employment, energy independence or armed world conflicts to secure none renewable energy sources.
Experts call for active action from society as this decree collides with the European directive on energy efficiency, so that the courts in Brussels will have something to say about it. Many Spaniards are called to vote this December the 20th and perhaps this is a good occasion to require the 18 political parties who are now in the opposition to agree in rescinding this decree if voted.
Nevertheless, I am optimistic. Technological revolutions are unstoppable no matter how powerful those who oppose them, when technology emerges to benefit the majority of citizens it shall overcome those who are serving the monopolies rather than the citizens who voted them.
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