Installation of a solar power plant

A solar power plant is a special engineering structure designed to convert energy from solar radiation into electricity. The main components of any solar power plant (SPP) are solar panels, which convert the sun's energy into direct current, and an inverter, which converts direct current into alternating current, making it suitable for use in the home network.

The legislation clearly regulates who, exactly where, and under what conditions can establish solar power plants. Thus, according to the Rules of the retail electricity market, a household consumer has the right to install in his private household a generating unit intended for the production of electricity from the energy of solar radiation and/or wind energy. The size of such an installation should not exceed 50 kW. Production of electricity from such an installation is possible without a corresponding license. Also, the household consumer can sell the produced energy to the universal service provider at a "green" tariff. The sales volume must exceed the monthly electricity consumption of the seller's household.

Specialists of the Tolk Group of Companies will help the household consumer to understand the specifics of electricity production in the retail market, to design, install and connect the solar power plant in the shortest possible time and in compliance with all legal requirements.

What are solar power plants?

If you decide to install a solar power plant, then first of all you need to decide what kind of installation it should be. Of course, you can figure it out yourself, or you can contact the specialists of the Tolk Group of Companies, who will not only tell you what is more profitable to install for each specific consumer but will also make calculations and help you understand the nuances of design and installation for each individual object.

There are three types of solar power plants: network, hybrid and autonomous.
A network station is a system that converts the energy of solar radiation into electricity, works together with an external power line, and can be configured to work at a "green" tariff. Network SES will help you save on electricity payments and receive monthly passive income until 2030.

The Tolk group of companies will help with the installation of a network solar power plant for the home "on a turnkey basis" throughout Ukraine. Specialists will also provide documentary support when issuing a "green" tariff.

An autonomous solar power plant is an independent energy system that accumulates the energy of solar radiation in storage batteries and works without connection to an external network. At dusk, a set of batteries is used as a reserve.

The set of autonomous power plants will be useful for lighting remote objects, private houses, or cottages. The power plant is selected directly for the client's needs. Such a system can work most effectively in the period from March to October when solar radiation is most active. In winter, in cloudy weather, electricity will also be produced, but in smaller quantities.

Specialists of the Tolk Group of Companies will help you choose the necessary equipment and install an autonomous solar power plant on favorable terms throughout Ukraine. We also provide documentary support when issuing a "green" tariff.

A hybrid solar power plant can charge batteries from both solar panels and the general power grid, thus it can ensure the smooth operation of a home/cottage/shop, etc. In the absence of a network, such a station works from batteries, and if the batteries are insufficiently charged - from the general power grid.

Usually, hybrid solar power plans are used in places where it is possible to connect to centralized power supply networks, but their operation is unstable. Such stations are hybrid and can combine various functions, so their use is possible both in private homes and in commercial facilities (for example, shops).

The Tolk group of companies will help you choose the necessary equipment and install a turnkey hybrid solar power plant on favorable terms throughout Ukraine.

Advantages of installing solar power plant from Tolk:

• direct contract with the manufacturer of powerful monocrystalline class A solar panels;
• certificate of origin, non-cash payments;
• 25-year performance guarantee (84%) from the Tolk Group of Companies and the manufacturer;
• constant control and responsibility of the Tolk Group at all stages;
• purchase of electricity from private households at a "green" tariff.

Procedure for installation and registration of solar power plant

When installing a solar power plant, the main condition is that the building on which the solar power plant is installed must be put into operation. At the same time, it should be taken into account that there may be a need to increase the capacity of the home network to connect your station, in which case you will have to contact the local operator of the distribution system.

To find out all these nuances, to calculate what capacity is needed, we recommend contacting the specialists of the Tolk Group of Companies, who will professionally select the necessary equipment, help you draw up a sample application and a one-line diagram, and prepare the entire package of documents together with you. It is he who should be submitted to the operator of the distribution system at the place of residence (former Oblenergo), who will install a special meter for accounting for the electricity produced from the energy of solar radiation.

Also, at the place of registration of the solar power plant, it is necessary to submit a corresponding application to the electricity supplier, who will make payments according to the "green" tariff. In order not to get confused in all the requirements of the relevant legislation, and to complete everything properly, it is better to contact the specialists of the Tolk Group of Companies, who are well aware of the entire sequence of registration of solar power plant.

What is a "green" tariff?

The "green" tariff is a policy of encouraging the government to produce electricity from alternative sources, such as solar or wind power plants. The basis of the system is the purchase of excess alternative electricity from private (individuals or legal entities) at tariffs that are 3-5 times higher than the cost of electricity produced by thermal power plants, nuclear power plants, etc.

The maximum capacity of the generating facility from renewable energy sources (RES), which can supply electricity to the state at a "green" tariff for individuals, is 30 kW. There are no power limits for legal entities.

In practice, it has been proven that the higher the capacity of the power plant, the faster the investment in alternative energy sources can pay off. Also important for faster payback is the place of installation of the SPP, the angle of inclination of the power plant on the building, etc., all this can be calculated by the specialists of the Tolk group of companies.

Prices for the "green" tariff in Ukraine are set by the NCRECP.
For 2022, the NCRECP established the following tariffs for electricity produced from alternative sources:
for consumers, including energy cooperatives, whose installed capacity does not exceed 150 kW, the "green" tariff for electricity produced by solar installations will be UAH 3.78 per kWh (without VAT) for installations put into operation in 2019 ;
for generating units that were introduced after January 1, 2020, the "green" tariff will be UAH 5.005 per kWh (without VAT);
for installations with a capacity of more than 150 kW, which are owned by companies and enterprises, the NERCP sets tariffs separately for each company.Next year, "green" tariffs for such generating systems will range from UAH 1.79 per kWh to UAH 7.55 per kWh (without VAT)

The procedure for turning on the "green" tariff
The process of connecting to the green tariff can take from 1 to 2 months for individuals and up to 1 year for legal entities. This is a rather complicated procedure that requires collecting the necessary package of documents and approvals for connection and compensation of the tariff by the state. You can do it yourself or use the services of specialists from the Tolk Group of Companies.

New rules for the renewable energy market came into force in Ukraine in 2023

On July 27, 2023, Law of Ukraine No. 3220-IX came into force, which is aimed at improving the conditions for supporting producers of electricity from renewable energy sources ("RES"). Among other things, the Law restarts the regulation of "green" auctions, guarantees of electricity origin, and contracts for difference (so-called virtual PPAs), and introduces new support instruments, in particular, the market premium mechanism and the self-production mechanism. 

The Law also introduces a self-generation mechanism and new participants in the electricity market - "active consumers", which are recognized, in particular, as those consumers who sell the green electricity they generate in whole or in part, i.e., surplus electricity not consumed for their own needs.

In other words, if an active consumer consumed more electricity in a month than it is supplied to the grid, it will have to pay the difference between the cost of consumed and supplied electricity to the supplier. Conversely, if the cost of electricity supplied exceeds the cost of electricity consumed, the difference between the cost of electricity supplied and consumed will be paid by the supplier in favor of the active consumer in the month following the billing month.

The following active consumers will be able to take advantage of the self-production mechanism:

private households with solar/wind generating installations up to 30 kW;

small non-household consumers with solar/wind generating installations up to 50 kW;

non-household consumers with generating solar/wind/biomass/biogas/hydroelectric/geothermal installations within the permitted capacity;

non-household consumers whose generating facilities were commissioned before December 31, 2029, within the permitted capacity; and energy cooperatives, energy service customers, and third parties (including RES producers who are entitled to a feed-in tariff) who have connected their generating facilities to the networks of an active consumer and provided that the latter consumes the entire amount of energy produced by them.

In order to implement the self-generation mechanism, active consumers must enter into a power purchase agreement under the self-generation mechanism with a universal service provider (USP), an electricity supplier or a Guaranteed Buyer (in the case of producers under the feed-in tariff).

This agreement will have a standard form (to be developed by the NEURC) and will regulate mutual settlements between the electricity supplier or the USP or the Guaranteed Buyer and the active consumer under the self-generation mechanism.

Active consumers who have received the right to buy and sell electricity under the feed-in tariff have the right to conclude a power purchase agreement under the self-generation mechanism within the connected capacity of their generating facilities. However, the simultaneous conclusion of a PPA under the feed-in tariff and a PPA under the self-generation mechanism for the same generating facility of an active consumer is prohibited.

The process of connecting a RES power plant for a household consumer consists of the following stages:

• purchase of equipment and installation of the power system;
• preparation of a package of documents and submission of an application to the operator of the distribution system for connection to the "green" tariff;
• approval of the system with OSR and payment of their services;
• signing an agreement on the purchase and sale of electricity at the "green" tariff;
• installation of a two-way electricity meter;
• putting the system into operation;
• opening a bank account to receive income at the "green" rate;
• submitting an appropriate application to one of the suppliers of the Tolk group, who will pay the income at the "green" tariff.

In order to properly design a power plant from renewable energy sources, we recommend contacting the specialists of the Tolk group of companies, who are well aware of the entire sequence of design of such plants for domestic consumers. Consultations can be obtained at each Customer Service Center of the Tolk Group of Companies. For additional information, you can also contact the phone number: 0 800 33 18 33 (Mon-Fri: 9.00-18.00)