No License Required for Off-Grid Solar Users, Clarify NEPRA Sources

ISLAMABAD: Sources within the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) have clarified that off-grid solar users are not required to obtain any license, as they are not connected to the national power grid.
According to the sources, off-grid consumers do not fall under net metering or net billing categories, and therefore existing regulatory licensing frameworks do not apply to them.
They further stated that there has never been a requirement for off-grid solar users to obtain a license, nor is any such proposal currently under consideration.
However, under new regulations, certain changes have been introduced in the net billing system. New users will be required to go through registration and approval procedures based on different categories.
Sources added that previously, solar consumers with a load exceeding 25 kilowatts were required to obtain a license from NEPRA. Under the updated framework, licenses may also be issued for systems with a capacity of 25 kilowatts or less.
Earlier, consumers with loads up to 25 kilowatts were approved by respective power distribution companies without any fee. Now, a proposal suggests a fee of Rs1,000 per kilowatt for such licenses, although off-grid users will remain unaffected by these changes.