The Swiss Federal Council has approved changes to the country’s energy regulations that will allow small PV system owners to consume the electricity they generate.
Revisions to the energy act now allows for all electricity generators, of any size, to consume the energy used on site, in part or full.
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Under the new revisions PV users will be able to use the same energy they generate and not have to meter all energy generated back to the grid, as stipulated previously.
The reforms will be valid as of 1 April 2014 with the full policy on self-consumption is to be published next week.
Under the revised energy regulation, a minimum tariff of CHF0.015 per kWh (US$0.02) has been set.
A rebate of 30% of the costs of systems under 10kW is to be promoted instead of the tariff.
Utilities have also been forbidden from arranging different tariffs for self consuming customers with systems under 10kW.
Owners of systems between 10kW and 30kW can choose the one-off 30% rebate payment, or to receive the tariff payments over the long term.
Older systems will only eligible for the payment if they were registered before the end of 2012, and on the tariff waiting list.
Previously, solar users received a tariff for the energy they fed into the grid – but all energy had to be injected into the grid and generators could not use the power they generated.
The Swiss Federation is hoping the one-off payment for small PV systems will spur installations and solar energy generation.
Energy not self-consumed can also be redirected to the surrounding community as part of the energy law revision.
The solar trade body, Swissolar, praised the reforms predicting they would reduce waiting lists for PV registration.
The tariff waiting list has over 30,000 names currently, which should be reduced by half by the beginning of 2015, thanks to the revisions, said Swissolar.
Swissolar also praised the changes as they will not bring unwarranted or disruptive stress to the current power grid.
Of the 30,000 around 10,000 are eligible for the one off payment.
Swiss Grid is to send letters informing all eligible system owners – with letters to be received no later than 2015.
The revisions also include a refund for high electricity consuming companies, whose electricity bill is in surplus of 5-10% of its gross value. Companies can petition for refunds of at least CHF20,000 (US$17,500), if they meet agreed energy efficiency targets, lasting up to five years, as set by the federation.