Ukraine Caps Rooftop Solar Payouts at Night With New Dual-Price Rule

Ukraine’s energy regulator has introduced a new billing mechanism for residential solar panel owners that limits compensation during nighttime hours and for electricity exported above a permitted hourly threshold.

Under the decision by the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Utilities (NCRECU), households will receive the lower of two values for power fed into the grid during specified nighttime windows and for any exports exceeding their hourly limit: either the household’s established “green” tariff or the hourly day-ahead market price. The market rate thus acts as a ceiling on green-tariff payments in those circumstances.

The nighttime windows differ by season. Between April 1 and October 31, the rule applies from 23:00 to 04:00. Between November 1 and March 31, it covers the longer window from 21:00 to 06:00.

The commission amended two regulatory documents to implement the change: the Retail Electricity Market Rules and the Energy Sales and Metering Procedure.

NCRECU emphasised that the base green tariff for residential solar producers has not been reduced. The lower-of-two-prices mechanism applies only to nighttime and above-threshold exports; at other times and within permitted hourly volumes, the existing tariff remains in force. The regulator cited the need to account for the specific characteristics of solar generation and to establish a clear mechanism for determining the cost of electricity supplied by private households.

Source: Ukrinform