Federation of BiH to ease requirements for solar, wind power plants of up to 1 MW

The Federation of BiH (FBiH) will ease the requirements for the installation of small solar and wind power plants, a move that is expected to bring benefits to citizens and businesses who intend to produce electricity for self-consumption.

The benefits for households and businesses looking to become prosumers will be made possible by the FBiH’s Draft law on electricity, which is open to public consultation until September 5.

Prosumers who produce electricity in power plants of up to 1 MW for self-consumption only, without delivering any surpluses to the grid, will not be required to obtain a power generation license, according to the draft law.

Also, a license will not be required for energy storage in batteries of up to 500 kW or batteries located behind active customers’ metering devices.

This, according to the text of the draft law, will simplify the permitting procedure and encourage the installation of solar and wind power plants, especially small-scale facilities installed by citizens, such as rooftop solar power systems.

The draft law also proposes the introduction of a certification system for installers of solar and wind power plants of up to 23 kW, in what will shift some responsibilities from state authorities to certified installers, according to Večernji list.

This should pave the way for changing building regulations in order to treat the construction of small solar and wind power plants as equipment installation, freeing investors from the obligation to obtain urban planning, construction, and use permits, according to the draft law.

The Draft law on electricity is part of a set of energy sector laws that are currently under public consultation. A Draft law on the use of renewable energy sources and high-efficiency cogeneration will bring a number of changes, while FBiH is also preparing a new Draft law on energy.