New Rules for Settling Prosumer Accounts 2022. Photovoltaics – When Will the Changes Take Effect?

The installation of personal photovoltaic panels is becoming an increasingly popular solution for homeowners. For this reason, it is now possible to find home PV installations in almost every locality, allowing for the production of electricity for personal use and the transfer of surplus to the grid. Until now, one of the most important factors encouraging single-family homeowners to invest in this type of solution was the simple and favorable rules for settling prosumer accounts. However, there have been concerning voices regarding planned amendments. When will the changes take effect? Photovoltaics is currently a powerful sector of the economy that continues to grow vigorously. Therefore, every owner of an installation and those planning to invest in photovoltaics should quickly learn the answer to the question about the new rules.

New Rules for Settling Prosumer Accounts – What to Expect?

According to announcements from legislative representatives, the new rules for settling prosumer accounts are expected to come into effect in 2022. Unfortunately, they are set to be much less favorable than the current ones for owners of their own photovoltaic installations. Primarily, the discount system is expected to disappear. The change in regulations will mean that prosumers will sell the energy they produce to the recipient.

In practice, this could mean significant economic difficulties, and even complete unprofitability in storing the green energy they produce. A prosumer – for example, in winter, during a period of much lower efficiency of installed photovoltaic panels – will have to purchase energy from their recipient. It is not difficult to guess that the changes in regulations regarding photovoltaics will primarily have an economic character.

Changes in Photovoltaics from 2022 – How Will Prosumer Settlements Work?

It is clear that the fundamental problem will remain the financial issues of the prosumer, namely the price at which they will sell the energy they produce to the recipient and the price at which they will buy it during periods of increased demand. Market prices, appropriate for the moment of the transaction, will be significant for settlements. Everything indicates that the government has abandoned the previous plan for settlements based on average prices from the previous quarter.

At the same time, the new rules for settling prosumer accounts in 2022 will likely be differentiated for individual producers of green energy depending on the scale of their production. It may turn out that the larger the capacity of the installed panels, the more favorable the settlement system for the produced energy.

Legal Changes in Photovoltaics 2022 – How to Protect Yourself from Their Effects?

Although work is already underway on a parliamentary project defining the new rules for settling prosumer accounts, 2022 may prove to be too close a deadline for implementing the new regulations. According to the original assumptions, only prosumers who managed to launch their installation by December 31, 2021, would retain a 15-year guarantee for maintaining the discounts. Exceptions would be made for delays caused by the fault of the distribution network operator. Prosumer who would have applied but failed to launch their installation due to delays could also count on retaining the discount system. However, many indications suggest that the final change in regulations will take effect somewhat later due to emerging amendments. In any case, the only way to protect oneself from its effects is to quickly install panels.

This is due to announcements stating that the legal changes in photovoltaics in 2022 will not affect prosumers already on the market at the time the new regulations come into force. Therefore, those who manage to install panels by the end of this year can be fairly certain that they will be able to benefit from the discount system. It is worth remembering this, especially considering that the final shape of the changes in photovoltaics from 2022 is not yet known, as the legislative process is not yet complete. Thus, it is difficult to make a final judgment about what the shape of the changes will be.

My Electricity 2022 – What to Prepare for in the New Year?

Alongside a simple and transparent system for settling produced energy, various support systems have significantly determined the development of the photovoltaic market. Among them, one of the most popular was "My Electricity" – a funding program for the construction of new photovoltaic installations, managed by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management. Unfortunately, applications are no longer being accepted as the allocated funds for this year have been exhausted.

However, everything indicates that in 2022, "My Electricity" will be announced again. According to the announcements from its creators, it will also be expanded. One can expect not only support for the construction of classic photovoltaic installations but also for the implementation of home energy storage systems. Thus, in the near future, it will likely be possible to apply for funds for the development of various photovoltaic projects.

When Will the Changes Take Effect? The Future of Photovoltaics

We unfortunately still have to wait for a clear answer to the question of when the changes in photovoltaics will take effect. One thing is certain – investors who have already decided to install and purchase panels should not delay in realizing their plans. Everything indicates that the new rules for settling prosumer accounts in 2022 will not affect those who install panels by the end of this year.