Spain Privatizes The Sun: Multi Millon Dollar Penalties For Collecting Sunlight









(Elpais.cr) If you get caught collecting photons of sunlight for your own use you can drop a fine not exceeding 30 million.

So if you were thinking that this false crisis caused, the best option was just to have some solar panels that were down 80% at cost and have the opportunity to disconnect from the mains and your bill scam, you can forget.

With terror that have the power to be “destabilized” power consumption (if not disappear), someone against what logic dictates, has proposed burying the photovoltaic industry (which is more necessary now than ever) in a bottomless pit, sometime in 2010 someone has decided to privatize the sun …. yes yes you read right, in Spain totally unlike Europe, who levies a toll on electricity generated and injected to the line … instead to receive profits, but that’s not all, if you get caught collecting photons of sunlight for your own use you can drop a fine of 30 million euros. Such as if it were a drug.

Commit the sacrilege of being energy independent can be very expensive, the sun now is only for the privileged few and the power companies in which directors are former presidents and former ppsoe dualistic party ministers. “Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF ), which brings together some 300 companies representing 85% of the industry, ensures that, these changes implemented, would be more expensive solar home consumption resorting to conventional supply. “It prevents the savings to consumers and paralyzes the entry of new competition in the electricity market,” contemplate. ”

So if you were thinking that this false crisis caused, the best option was just to have some solar panels that were down 80 % the cost and have the opportunity to disconnect from the mains and your bill scam, you can forget.Spain has “privatized” the sun without consulting its citizens, without consulting the solar system without consulting the universe etc. … The possibility of producing your own electricity using renewable resources solar panels or small wind turbines installed on private property-is very attractive for Spanish homes. “Out of every 50 incoming calls per month, 35 are of particular interest in the subsistence” says Francesc Mateu, manager of Sun Gironés, a company specializing in renewable energy and pioneers in this sector.

“At the moment we say they have to wait until September or October that things are clearer,” he adds. The trend towards flat rate on electricity bills, which increasingly have to pay a higher amount of fixed and less energy expenditure and specific rates imposed by the decree of consumption, which has not yet been approved, this alternative to expensive conventional consumption. The Government has proposed that the energy consumption is implemented gradually without alter the Spanish electricity system. To do reserve the right to up and down those specific charges or tolls, and called “backup”, depending on how the sector evolves. “We will pay a toll for the energy received from the sun” sums Mario Sorinas, Huesca Electrobin company, with over 20 years experience in solar energy.

Energy autarky is more than consolidated in countries like the U.S. or Japan. Many European countries have implemented with different formulas. “It’s the future,” energy experts agree. Generate your own electricity with renewable energy and give a break to the environment and the pocket. There is also the possibility of transferring the excess energy to utilities and retrieve it when needed or directly sell, which is known as Net-balanced consumption.

The Government of Spain and it poses. The draft decree of consumption makes it clear that not remunerate the excess energy is poured to the network. now, in Spain you can privately produce energy and consume it in the moment, a mode called instant consumption. The latest legislation is 2011. Before it was not cost effective because it came out. Cheaper by up to 80% of photovoltaic in the last five years and the increase in the electricity bills have become a very interesting saving option in times of crisis.

The use from dairy farms to supermarkets, nursing homes, restaurants and a particular consumer. The excess energy can not be stored in batteries because it is forbidden. When there is no sun or wind, you have to engage the network and pay the normal bill. There is no official record of consumption.

Alimarket economic magazine has posted 43 cases. Another file, made ​​voluntarily by the portal autoconsumidores Energy 21, the amount to 74.Gironés Sol, with 14 employees, is taking the rest with the instant consumption. “It’s working well, especially with companies like meat or hospitality, which rely heavily on cold storage, and in which the light bill takes at least 15% of their annual fixed costs,” says his manager. With these systems reduce reach between 20% and 30% consumption, although a case has been achieved that a drop of 44%. So far not pay taxes of any kind for this type of power generation. Estartit The Yacht Club, located in Pals (Girona), is one of its customers.

They have drawn up a five-year plan for the 20% of its consumption comes from renewable energy. Currently solar panels generate 7%.”We are very close to a natural park and want to have a high impact on the environment,” says Eugeni Figa, its director. Its plans also include windmills. In Galicia, the Dominguez brothers locking with renewable wear since 1998. “We were four ragamuffins” says Manuel.

In 2007 they made ​​their own offices supplying example Sanxenxo (Pontevedra) with a solar plant. Although consumption has projects in Spain, most of its market is outside the country in large parks of Chile, Mexico, Romania and England. energy reform has heated up tremendously in renewables.

“Of all the possible scenarios, this is the worst,” José Donoso, president of the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF), which represents 85% of the sector’s activity. “But still nothing specific has been approved for consumption, already have it loaded,” he adds. Donoso refers to the increase in the fixed portion of the electric bill, and will represent a 77% increase in this section for a domestic fee-something that domestic producers can not do without-and a fall of 23% in the consumption, which reduces self-production.

“Until now, the expense could deliver a 30% fixed and 70% variable part. You walk 50% -50% so any initiative to generate your own power is discouraged “, provides Ignacio Cruz, researcher Renewable Energy division of the Center for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT). “This is a death rejonazo the net balance and energy savings, “says Javier García Breva, renewable energy consultant and former director of the Institute for Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDEA).

This specialist maintains that it is purely revenue raising measures to enter more than electric. Unesa, the management of large utilities, has refused to assess the situation of consumption to better understand the legislative changes.

The Ministry of Industry has not responded to requests for information from THE COUNTRY. Centre previously known changes the payback time of photovoltaic grows considerably. If before the reform was needed 12 years to recover the investment in a residential installation of 2.4 kilowatts of power now will require 23 more, according to estimates by UNEF.

The consumer is the most played, since in the case of plants or irrigation service times have increased five amortization and 4.75 years, respectively. Yet who always works and seek back. Sun Gironés ensures that its customers are reducing the power contract, which recorded higher increase in the bill, because the instant consumption allows them to have their energy needs covered.Another of his goals is to get the profitable domestic consumption.



[contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"]



