Net Metering and Net Billing

As is well known, on 6 July 2024, the public consultation on the draft Ministerial Decision concerning Net Billing ended. In the coming period, it is expected to be signed and published in the Government Gazette, with any amendments that the leadership of the Ministry of Environment and Energy may make. Under Law 5037/2023 (Government Gazette 78A, 28.3.2023), two EU Directives on renewable energy sources and electricity markets are transposed, radically changing the landscape for energy self-consumption.

In this context, we could say that,  Net Metering is being replaced by Net Billing. The announced subsidized “Photovoltaics for Businesses” program, worth 160 million euros, is also expected, and the final details concerning subsidies for eligible applicants are currently being worked out.       

Let’s take a look at some of the differences between Net Metering and Net Billing:

 The difference

Based on the above, the main difference between Net Billing and energy net metering (Net Metering) is that Net Billing is a system of simultaneous offsetting, with the surplus energy that is not consumed being sold. Net Metering allowed energy to be stored in the grid and offset against later consumption when the photovoltaic system was not generating.

Special categories: Virtual Net Billing  and Zero Feed-In

As mentioned above, under Virtual Net Billing, photovoltaic systems can be installed in any Region of the country, regardless of the location of the consumption facilities or the headquarters of the Energy Community.

Another special category is the Zero Feed-In system, in which the self-producer does not feed any energy into the Grid and instead consumes all of it on site. The capacity of these plants, which may also include an energy storage system, may be up to 100% of the agreed capacity of the consumption supply. They are intended for consumers who wish to install photovoltaic systems but are in areas with a highly congested grid.

Source: Energy Press