What would it be like to have excess electricity and use it when needed? It sounds like a great prospect! And it could be even better, because you can also resell it! This is possible thanks to your own energy storage, which is why more and more people are thinking about it. In times when electricity costs are rising rapidly and the market itself is unpredictable, this is indeed a good option. Increasing environmental awareness also plays a role here. Let's find out how you can legally resell energy from an energy storage facility? What conditions must be met?
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Can you, as a prosumer, resell energy from photovoltaics?
Photovoltaics changed the rules of the game, making households and other entities, such as companies, start producing their own energy using the sun. The concept of a prosumer emerged, which means a person who both produces and consumes electricity. The natural course of action in such a situation is to sell surplus energy back to the grid. However, issues related to the resale of energy by prosumers are regulated by law. They can be complicated and require meeting certain requirements.
Polish law states that a prosumer can send surplus energy from a photovoltaic installation to the grid under the so-called net-metering system. Such energy sales allow for the settlement of surplus energy by receiving part of it back at a later time, when energy demand increases, for example in winter or at night. On the other hand, under the standard prosumer model, there is no possibility of direct resale of energy for commercial purposes, on the same terms as traditional energy suppliers are able to do.
This means that prosumers who want to trade their electricity by selling it on the market must register a business and prepare for various formalities, including obtaining appropriate permits. Such activity must comply with the regulations of the Energy Regulatory Office (URE), which requires meeting additional formal and technical requirements, such as obtaining an appropriate license. However, once we have such a license to trade electricity, we gain the ability to trade energy on both a wholesale and retail scale.
Necessary conditions for reselling electricity
In order for a prosumer to be able to resell electricity from their own installation, they must meet a number of technical and organizational conditions. The basis is an electricity storage facility , which allows them to store energy produced in excess of current demand. This makes it possible to use the produced energy later or sell it at a financially advantageous time, for example when energy prices on the market are higher.
However, a home energy storage facility is not everything, as other investments are also necessary. This is especially true for installing an appropriate energy management system. This ensures monitoring and control of energy flows between the storage facility, the photovoltaic installation and the power grid. This is essential to ensure that energy is always transferred to the grid smoothly and in accordance with the requirements of the system operator.
Also very important is the agreement with the distribution system operator (DSO), which regulates the conditions for connecting the installation to the power grid, and also sets the rules for settling energy transferred to the system. Remember that the requirements may differ depending on the region. Most often, however, they include parameters such as the minimum size of the installation and the requirement to have bidirectional meters. This allows for measuring the amount of energy taken from the grid and returned.
What legal requirements must be met to be able to resell electricity?
In order for everything to be done legally, we must remember to meet a number of legal requirements. As we have already mentioned, you need to register your business, because reselling energy is treated as a commercial activity. A person who wants to sell surplus energy from photovoltaics must obtain an entry in the Central Registration and Information on Business (CEIDG) or the register of entrepreneurs of the National Court Register (KRS).
The next step is to obtain a license for electricity trading, which is issued by the Energy Regulatory Office (URE). A license is a formal authorization that allows you to sell energy to other entities. The entire procedure requires meeting many conditions, including having the appropriate technical support, as well as financial security. At the same time, it is an obligation to regularly report to the Energy Regulatory Office and comply with current energy market regulations.
Before starting to sell energy, you must also enter into an agreement with the distribution system operator (DSO). The agreement contains the most important assumptions, such as the conditions for connecting to the network, energy billing rules and other technical issues, e.g. regarding energy meters.
Storing energy obtained through photovoltaics is an excellent solution, especially if the electricity from surplus production can later be resold. It is therefore undoubtedly worth investing in photovoltaics and energy storage , but remembering the numerous formalities associated with earning money on energy trading.
Check out the energy storage facilities at the Onninen wholesaler