All photovoltaics plagues. Who has it cannot sleep in Poland peacefully

Photovoltaics is a prosumer in the industry slang. Prosumer produces electricity using photovoltaic panels and at the same time uses it in its household or in the company.

The solar installation was to be a drug for high electricity bills for Poles, which generates heating houses and apartments in winter and autumn and cooling them in the summer. But is it really?

According to data from the energy market agency, at the end of March 2025 in Poland there were 1,542,019 prosumer installations (micro -installations). Their total power is already 12,282.93 MW. Poland ranks fourth in the world in terms of power installed per capita.

Changing the settlement rules increases vigilance

People who installed photovoltaics before April 1, 2022 can continue to use the net-metering rules, i.e. the discount system. In this model, for each kilowatt hour of the solar installation transferred to the network, the owner of the solar installation may receive for free:

• 0.8 kWh at installation up to 10 kW,

• 0.7 kWh with installation with a capacity of over 10 kW.

If the surplus does not cover the demand, you have to pay the current power price for each kWh.

People who decided to install panels after April 1, 2022 also export energy to the power network, but sell it at current medium -sized stock rates. Until June 30, 2024, these were average monthly rates, and from July 1, 2024, hourly rates apply. The value of resold energy is reduced by the cost of active energy. The new model is therefore settled in the value of energy in zlotys, not the amount of energy in kilowatt hours.

In this model, return for energy introduced into the network increases from 20 percent. up to 30 percent As the Ministry of Climate and the Environment notes, the profitability of this form of settlements depends on skilful management of energy production and consumption. And here is the dog buried.

Inverter with the worry of photovoltaic owners

One of the main worries of the prosumers is the inverter – a device that converts a direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC) with adjustable frequency. It is necessary in photovoltaic installations, where panels generate direct current, and most home appliances require alternating current.

The problem is that inverters turn off during the hours of energy production. The main reason is too high voltage in the power network, caused by overproduction of energy by solar installations, for which local infrastructure is not prepared.

The voltage in the network is growing rapidly, especially if there are many photovoltaic panels in the neighborhood. If it exceeds over 253 V, the installation control devices detach the installation from the network so that there is no dangerous overvoltage.

Some installation owners are trying to cheat the system by changing the inverter settings to unlawful – for example, increasing power limits. They manually introduce a norm on the device for another country where working at higher voltage is allowed.

According to Tauron’s data, only 1.5 thousand were detected in the Gliwice region. incorrect inverter settings. Such DIY is threatened not only by a financial penalty, but also by terminating the distribution agreement. There is also a refund of subsidies from the “My electricity” program.

Better use of energy generated by solar panels can be achieved by storing current or changing habits: cooking, water heating, home cooling or washing during the highest energy production.

Hidden modules in solar from China

Whoever has no problems with inverter and electricity bills, check who produced the devices he uses. Communication modules were found in the inverters of Chinese production that can pose a threat to the stability of energy networks. The governments of many countries are beginning to worry if someone will suddenly turn off the current.

According to reports of the Reuters agency, American specialists came across routine inverter controls for communication devices, which manufacturers did not include in the technical documentation. A representative of the China Embassy in Washington firmly rejected American accusations, considering them as an attempt to defile Chinese achievements in the field of infrastructure.

Some countries have already begun to introduce specific remedies: Lithuania has prohibited remote access to solar and wind installations with Chinese inverters, and Estonia is considering similar steps. In Poland, about 80 percent The devices are Chinese inverters, which have never been verified in terms of safety – such data was provided publicly during the last Polish Security Congress.

In such a situation, NASK experts recommend using proven installers, reputable equipment (inverter working without the manufacturer’s cloud) and changing the passwords of access to inverters to difficult to break.

The European Council of Solar Manufacturers has announced that over 200 GW of sunny power in Europe is already operated by Chinese origin. This is an equivalent of over 200 nuclear power plants.