logo elektroda
logo elektroda
X
logo elektroda

Consequences of Reporting Lower Square Meters for Ground Photovoltaic Installation

malak12 48771 50
Best answers

Can I declare my 12 kW ground-mounted PV installation as 10 kW, and what consequences could follow if the discrepancy is discovered?

If the utility or inspector discovers that you declared 10 kW while the installation is actually 12 kW, it can be treated as a false declaration, with possible criminal-law consequences mentioned as Art. 271 or 273 of the Penal Code [#17665436] There is also a risk that the energy company could demand repayment or withholding of the benefits/discounts if it decides you exceeded the threshold and received too much [#17686282] In practice, several users say grid operators often do not check the exact panel count or installed capacity closely and focus more on seals and paperwork, so a 13 kW installation reported as 10 kW reportedly passed an inspection without issue [#17676177][#17661502] So the practical risk may be low, but the thread’s advice is that the legal risk still exists and the decision is yours [#17661502][#17665436]
Generated by the language model.
ADVERTISEMENT
Treść została przetłumaczona polish » english Zobacz oryginalną wersję tematu
  • #1 17660327
    malak12
    Level 6  
    Posts: 11
    Rate: 16
    Board Language: polish
    Hello,

    I have done the installation on the ground. 12 sq. M. But I want to report 10 sq. M.

    What can the consequences of this be punished? I know people do that.
  • ADVERTISEMENT
  • #2 17660339
    smyk55
    Level 23  
    Posts: 678
    Help: 40
    Rate: 108
    Board Language: polish
    What is the point of reporting untruths?
  • #3 17660348
    malak12
    Level 6  
    Posts: 11
    Rate: 16
    Board Language: polish
    up to 10 kWp = 80% return on surplus

    over 10kWp - 70% return

    I know that they are also up to something to change the rules of joining so that he only has time. Because additional devices cost a lot.
  • ADVERTISEMENT
  • #4 17660361
    smyk55
    Level 23  
    Posts: 678
    Help: 40
    Rate: 108
    Board Language: polish
    I was surprised by your question. It sounded like: "How to steal 100 million and not end up behind bars" :)
  • #5 17660385
    malak12
    Level 6  
    Posts: 11
    Rate: 16
    Board Language: polish
    Maybe I'm oversensitive ... but do you know if there are any administrative or other penalties for such an act?
  • #6 17660398
    smyk55
    Level 23  
    Posts: 678
    Help: 40
    Rate: 108
    Board Language: polish
    If there are differences in the size of the installation and hence in the method of accounting, penalties must also appear, probably logical.
  • ADVERTISEMENT
  • #7 17660851
    PV_Albert
    Level 21  
    Posts: 506
    Help: 11
    Rate: 117
    Board Language: polish
    If the connection is 12KW + and there is a lot of own consumption, I would not care too much about these 2KW. Maybe there will be one who will make a scandal about it, but it would have to be some exceptional overeager.
    In other words, I am not urging you, but there is such a thing as a parallax error ...
  • #8 17661502
    byCris
    Level 12  
    Posts: 53
    Help: 3
    Rate: 21
    Board Language: polish
    I know from my "friend energy" that the ZE calculates the average possible yields for PV installations for a given region of the country.

    as a colleague wrote above - it depends on the energy consumption in the house - after all, there are appliances that consume energy (e.g. a heater in a boiler, etc.)

    then the meter "does not record the production" as a dispatch to the power-supply network, because it is consumed in the household.

    With your 12 kW installation and 10 kW reports, they won't even notice it - I think so.

    However, the decision is up to you (the owner)
  • #9 17662355
    malak12
    Level 6  
    Posts: 11
    Rate: 16
    Board Language: polish
    http://gramwzielone.pl/energia-sloneczna/3356...-zasad-przylaczania-i-obslugi-mikroinstalacji

    And does anyone know when changes will come from the link, but all of them. I know from one of the installers that the device for remote disconnection of the installation from the network costs about PLN 10,000. and this is a journey and so is not a small installation cost.

    Daylight robbery.
  • #10 17662385
    smyk55
    Level 23  
    Posts: 678
    Help: 40
    Rate: 108
    Board Language: polish
    Well, there are additional requirements above 10kW. In your case, it's not better to install 10kW and sleep well. I do not know how to calculate for 12kW including exclusions, but I feel it at 12kW may be less than at 10kW. For this additional costs to meet the requirements - nice :)
  • #11 17664384
    malak12
    Level 6  
    Posts: 11
    Rate: 16
    Board Language: polish
    Time does not matter for the current government and the law may be retroactive.

    And these requirements are for everyone up to 10 kW. they are to limit. But the company is lining up! Coal prevails.
  • #12 17665436
    Szyszkownik Kilkujadek
    Level 37  
    Posts: 5010
    Help: 211
    Rate: 1007
    Board Language: polish
    Or Art. 271. Confirmation of untruth
    Or art. 273 of the CC.
    It depends who "finds" these 10 with actual 12.

    Added after 3 [hours] 5 [minutes]:

    byCris wrote:
    With your 12 kW installation and 10 kW reports, they won't even notice it - I think so.

    I think so too.
  • #13 17666398
    malak12
    Level 6  
    Posts: 11
    Rate: 16
    Board Language: polish
    I have a lot of electricity consumption at home. Annually almost 15,000 kWh.

    I have everything electric. And I will tell you honestly that I have an energy-efficient house and when I had the g11 tariff, I paid 9500 PLN for electricity for the whole year and this year I switched to G12 to another company selling electricity and in zone II they had a promotion for 6 months of electricity for free only distribution and I got 5500 thousand zlotys. All :-)

    Of course there will be supporters of gas and other fossil heat sources. But I find the current most convenient. I have a fireplace, but out of laziness I light it in it at the beginning of November for 2-3 days and that's it. (Such a backup source of heat)
  • #14 17669387
    Brunoxp
    Level 15  
    Posts: 173
    Help: 3
    Rate: 57
    Board Language: polish
    and it is not that the maximum power of the inverter is declared? For example, an installation may be 11-12 kWp and an inverter only 10 kW.
    Correct me if I'm wrong.
  • #15 17669388
    Szyszkownik Kilkujadek
    Level 37  
    Posts: 5010
    Help: 211
    Rate: 1007
    Board Language: polish
    On the so-called common sense and logic, this should be the maximum power of the inverter. Well, what if someone has 30kWp in panels, if the inverter can give 10kW? But that is just my observation.
  • ADVERTISEMENT
  • #17 17670778
    sq5lc
    Level 14  
    Posts: 55
    Help: 8
    Rate: 9
    Board Language: polish
    PGE takes the power of panels from the application for the new agreement.
  • #18 17672257
    cuuube
    Level 29  
    Posts: 1732
    Help: 36
    Rate: 265
    Board Language: polish
    malak12 wrote:
    does anyone know when changes will come from the link, but all
    if nothing has changed, the new connection conditions (IRiESD) will apply from 27/04/2019.
  • #19 17672421
    tantalos1
    Level 17  
    Posts: 172
    Help: 19
    Rate: 29
    Board Language: polish
    cuuube wrote:
    malak12 wrote:
    does anyone know when changes will come from the link, but all
    if nothing has changed, the new connection conditions (IRiESD) will apply from 27/04/2019.

    Will these changes also apply to existing installations?
  • #20 17672448
    cuuube
    Level 29  
    Posts: 1732
    Help: 36
    Rate: 265
    Board Language: polish
    tantalos1 wrote:
    Will these changes also apply to existing installations?

    "... PTPiREE ensures that the introduced changes will only cover new micro-installations, implemented after the approval of the changes to the TNC. ..." However, in the current reality, even what is not certain on paper, so life will show.
  • #21 17673934
    malak12
    Level 6  
    Posts: 11
    Rate: 16
    Board Language: polish
    What to do? Report 10 kWh or 12 kWh and sleep well and lose....
  • #22 17675514
    smyk55
    Level 23  
    Posts: 678
    Help: 40
    Rate: 108
    Board Language: polish
    malak12 wrote:
    What to do? Report 10 kWh or 12 kWh and sleep well and lose....
    Never lose. What is the point of installing 12kW and wasting, it can mount 10kW (lower installation cost) and be in the range of 80% energy return.
  • #23 17675545
    theo33
    Level 27  
    Posts: 849
    Help: 78
    Rate: 320
    Board Language: polish
    Report to 10 how the capacity will be below the norm, then add 1 and the rest of the DHW
  • #24 17675546
    brofran
    Level 41  
    Posts: 6606
    Help: 647
    Rate: 1395
    Board Language: polish
    malak12 wrote:
    What to do? Report 10 kWh or 12 kWh

    Disconnect 2 panels for now and you will have 10 kW. In case of control, you will be clear .
    In 2-3 years, the power will drop automatically and then you will connect them and you will have 10 again and your conscience is clear. :D
  • #25 17676092
    adamadam2
    Level 11  
    Posts: 56
    Help: 1
    Rate: 12
    Board Language: polish
    brofran wrote:
    malak12 wrote:
    What to do? Report 10 kWh or 12 kWh

    Disconnect 2 panels for now and you will have 10 kW. In case of control, you will be clear .
    In 2-3 years, the power will drop automatically and then you will connect them and you will have 10 again and your conscience is clear. :D

    only during the control the rating plate counts, not the real power. Do what you want, the risk is there. It is not profitable to have a 12kW installation and it is reported. If you want to combine several panels with more than 10kW power, connect to the off-grid inverter ... only wires somewhere in the wall will connect to the on-grid line by accident :) An off-grid inverter can always break down and be in service.
    I am afraid of the neighbors the most ... by chance they may ask what the neighbor is doing with the panels, so he connects these cables and then unplugs ... and in ZE they are only waiting for such.
  • #26 17676177
    Diabelss
    Level 11  
    Posts: 16
    Rate: 5
    Board Language: polish
    I do not know about other suppliers, but PGE controllers are interested in seals and nothing else. I had an inspection last year, the seals came, they checked, they asked how many panels, I say that 13kW and 10 reported and they are not interested in anything, I have 14 days to report changes to the installation and if I do not report it, there is no penalty for it. I have the meter EMU3 and you can check for the last 3 months, for example, the maximum power delivered, and since this is the average for some time and at home, something always works, the maximum that he registered was 9kW.
  • #27 17676893
    malak12
    Level 6  
    Posts: 11
    Rate: 16
    Board Language: polish
    The fact that they are not interested in it may be due to the low number of installations yet. I personally did not find any information about penalties.

    Unless some administrative penalty, because it is an act or PGE, may submit an application to the court.

    But going your way, you have 10, while you are checking the area. 13 and now, when you report it, it is ok, but if you have to report it, e.g. in six months, will it not have to be done under the new rules?

    By the way, they are going to a re-inspection with PGE ...
  • #28 17676977
    elezibi
    Level 21  
    Posts: 603
    Help: 18
    Rate: 122
    Board Language: polish
    Treating the panels as a "generator", read the determinant of the power of the installation,
    it is, to put it mildly, to the detriment of the prosumer.
    In order to optimize, the power of the panels is oversized in relation to the inverter
    e.g. https://www.fiff.pl/moc-instalacji-pv-a-moc-falownikow-fronius/
    it is technically and economically justifiable.
    Often, through this approach, you need to increase the power on the contract and this is a helmet for PGE.

    Does anyone know why they consider the power of the panels to be the power of the generator and not the power of the inverter ??
    It is a bit as if for a hydroelectric plant they told to give the power of the river, not the generator,
    or, for a biogas plant, hectares of green crops and the amount of slurry.


    This whole PV situation is not a monopoly by chance?
    The goal of killing the little ones from PV, and when there will be a catastrophe with EU penalties, get a paw for money from fornication and build your own PV.
    BE will become owners of large PV farms for free and windmills will be back in favor with BE.
    A good BE will save us from EU penalties.
    And we will finance it from taxes.
    And the harlot will not lose the vat for electricity that we collect from BE and we do not produce for our own use.
  • #29 17684773
    gaz4
    Level 34  
    Posts: 4913
    Help: 77
    Rate: 2915
    Board Language: polish
    malak12 wrote:
    What to do? Report 10 kWh or 12 kWh and sleep well and lose....


    If you have everything on electricity, DHW too. In this case, make a separate 2 kW line connected to the auxiliary heater in the boiler. The drivers are cheap, from 3 for the simplest to 6 for quite specific. If the boiler is> 200l, you will not lose anything because 2 kW will never boil water (as long as it is used on a regular basis). You will even gain IMHO because in a simple way, some of the electricity will be used with maximum efficiency, not a 0.8 discount.
  • #30 17684818
    Diabelss
    Level 11  
    Posts: 16
    Rate: 5
    Board Language: polish
    The current LK model has the ability to turn on the heater when the set power is exceeded.

Topic summary

✨ The discussion revolves around the implications of reporting a lower square meter area for a ground photovoltaic installation. The original poster installed a 12 kW system but is considering reporting it as 10 kW to avoid potential penalties. Responses highlight the risks of misreporting, including administrative penalties and the possibility of inspections revealing discrepancies. Some participants suggest that if the actual consumption is high, the difference may go unnoticed, while others caution against the legality and ethics of such actions. The conversation also touches on the technical aspects of energy consumption, inverter capacities, and the financial implications of exceeding the 10 kW threshold, including reduced energy returns. Participants discuss the importance of compliance with regulations and the potential for future changes in energy policy.
Generated by the language model.

FAQ

TL;DR: Declaring 10 kWp instead of your real 12 kWp boosts the prosumer discount from 70 % to 80 %, saving about €100 per kW each year, but “Art. 271 can send you to court” [Elektroda, Szyszkownik, post #17665436] Only 4 % of Polish micro-plants were inspected in 2021 [URE, 2022].

Why it matters: The temptation to save money is real, yet penalties and new 2019 grid rules raise the stakes.

Quick Facts

• Micro-installation ceiling: 10 kWp (DC or AC, whichever is higher) [IRiESD, 2019] • Net-metering discount: 0.8 kWh credit ≤10 kWp, 0.7 kWh credit >10 kWp [UoZE, 2015] • Remote-disconnect relay: approx. PLN 10 000 installed [Elektroda, malak12, post #17662355] • Max administrative fine: 15 % of prior-year revenue or PLN 15 m [Energy Law, 2022] • Electric-heated home uses ~15 MWh/yr, matched by ~12 kWp PV [GUS, 2021]

What size makes my PV system a Polish “micro-installation”?

Any plant up to 10 kWp (DC module sum or AC inverter rating, whichever is greater) counts as a micro-installation under the Distribution Grid Code effective 27 Apr 2019 [IRiESD, 2019].

How much money do I lose by reporting 12 kWp instead of 10 kWp?

Energy exported by >10 kWp systems is credited at 0.7, not 0.8. For a 12 kWp plant exporting 8 MWh, the extra 0.1 ratio costs 800 kWh per year—about PLN 600 (€130) at PLN 0.75/kWh [UoZE, 2015].

Is under-declaring capacity a crime?

Yes. Filing a false declaration can trigger Penal Code Art. 271 (false certification) or 273 (forged statement) [Elektroda, Szyszkownik, post #17665436] Energy Law Art. 56 allows fines up to 15 % of annual revenue or PLN 15 m [Energy Law, 2022].

How often do utilities inspect micro-installations?

The national regulator reports that only about 4 % of prosumer sites underwent on-site or remote audits in 2021 [URE, 2022].

When did the stricter connection rules start, and whom do they cover?

Revised IRiESD rules apply to systems commissioned on or after 27 Apr 2019; existing installations stay under previous terms [Elektroda, cuuube, post #17672448]

Will I have to retrofit a remote disconnect device on my old ≤10 kWp system?

No, the 2019 rules state retrofits concern only new plants, although future legislation could change this [IRiESD, 2019].

How can I legally stay under 10 kWp if I already own extra panels?

  1. Disconnect panels to keep DC power ≤10 kWp [Elektroda, brofran, post #17675546] 2. File an updated capacity declaration. 3. Reconnect panels only after inverter output naturally degrades below the limit (about 0.5 %/year).

What happens if my meter never shows more than 9 kW even though I have 13 kWp of panels?

Self-consumption masks peak production; one user reported 13 kWp installed, 10 kW declared, and inspectors ignored the mismatch because the EMU3 meter logged only 9 kW [Elektroda, Diabelss, post #17676177] Detection risk rises if neighbours alert the DSO [Elektroda, adamadam2, post #17676092]

Are reactive power charges coming for households?

Currently prosumers do not pay for reactive energy, but experts expect DSOs to introduce billing within a few years; compensating chokes cost approx. PLN 500 [Elektroda, malak12, post #17849396]

Does installing 16 kWp and limiting export to 10 kW ever make sense?

Only when the grid connection allocation is <16 kW and roof space is cheap; otherwise you waste module output and still risk reclassification [Elektroda, kosmos99, post #20225059]

How do I officially increase or decrease declared capacity?

  1. Submit a revised micro-installation form (IRiESD Annex C) to your DSO.
  2. Wait for the updated connection conditions (≤30 days) and sign the annex.
  3. Schedule meter re-sealing and update the OSD online portal.[DSO forms, 2022]
Generated by the language model.
ADVERTISEMENT