Placing solar panels on the roof and connecting them will be easier and faster, promises a new EWRC Ordinance

Reduction of the administrative burden in the construction and connection of installations for the production of electricity from renewable energy sources, provides for the brand-new Ordinance 6 of this year for the connection of objects to the electrical networks. The document has been published for public discussion on the strategy.bg portal. and generally, sets the stage for the formation of new social relations. The Ordinance provides for a new way of regulating the order of connection to the electrical networks of producers of electrical energy from renewable energy sources. It is important to know that the conditions for joining objects are determined by the respective network operator.

New public relations related to the activity "distribution of electrical energy in a closed electrical distribution network" are regulated, respectively with the connection of user sites to such networks, as well as the networks themselves to other electrical networks, and with the storage of electrical energy, respectively the construction and the connection of electrical energy storage facilities to the electrical networks. Also, specific requirements, conditions and deadlines have been introduced for the connection of sites for the production of electrical energy from renewable sources.

In general, the document creates the possibility of issuing a permit for the realization of an investment for the production of electrical energy from renewable energy sources, as well as the submission of documents for connection to the relevant network.

It is planned to ease the procedures for joining sites of producers of electric energy from renewable sources with a total installed capacity of up to 1 MW, and the terms for carrying out a study and issuing an opinion on the conditions and method of joining have been reduced.

The Ordinance provides for a period of 20 days from the submission of the request for facilities/installations with a power of up to 30 kW and 40 days with a power of 30 kW to 1 MW. Of course, there are also a number of additional conditions.

The Law on Energy from Renewable Energy Sources (ERES) provides for the possibility of joining installations for the production of electricity from renewable sources or installations of users of their own electricity and demonstration projects with an installed electric power of up to 10.8 kW in a simplified manner.

The draft regulation is structured systematically in six separate chapters, some of which have separate sections. In the separate chapters and sections, the order and method of connection are regulated depending on the type of the object to be connected, as well as the conditions for stopping the transmission of electric energy and the connection. Chapter one aims to settle the subject scope as well as the general conditions applicable to all types of objects that should join the relevant network. Chapters two to five are intended to regulate in detail the order and conditions for connecting objects for consumption, production and storage of electric energy, as well as objects of electric grid operators to electric grids of other operators, as they regulate the individual stages that need to be carried out in order to connect the object to the relevant network. Chapter six regulates the cases in which the relevant network operator can suspend the transmission of electric energy and/or the connection with or without notice, as well as their restoration.

The possibility of appealing to the Commission for Energy and Water Regulation against the actions or inactions of an electricity network operator is foreseen.