The Romanian Energy Ministry is preparing an important legislative amendment aimed at integrating prosumers more efficiently into the national electricity grid. Under the new proposals, distribution companies could have real-time access to data from prosumers’ inverters, allowing more detailed monitoring and dynamic management of renewable energy. The aim of the change is to avoid automatic disconnections when there is an energy surplus and maximize the use of green energy.
Objective of the legislative change
The initiative comes as the number of prosumers – citizens or companies that produce electricity from renewable sources and feed it into the grid – is growing. However, the current system does not allow detailed monitoring of renewable energy production at the prosumer’s internal level, as measurements are only taken at the grid’s demarcation point. Dan Drăgan, state secretary at the Energy Ministry, told a conference organized by the publication Focus Energetic that the purpose of amending Law 123 is to allow prosumers and distribution operators to better monitor inverter parameters in a dynamic and digitized way. “We need to see exactly what the production from renewable sources is at the prosumer’s internal level, because now we only measure at the demarcation point in the grid. We want to know exactly how much renewable energy we produce and how much we consume before the surplus is injected into the grid, so that this energy can be included in Romania’s quota,” Drăgan explained.
Benefits of the proposal
One of the major benefits of the new measure would be the prevention of uncontrolled disconnections when the grid cannot handle the surplus energy injected by prosumers. With access to technical data from inverters, distribution operators would be able to regulate grid dynamics, using digital technologies to maintain the energy balance. Dan Drăgan stressed that this data already exists in the inverters, but is currently not being used optimally: “It is just transmitting information that the inverter already has and that could be used to optimize grid management.”
How could the system work?
Access to inverter data would be realized through partnership agreements between prosumers and distribution companies. Drăgan said incentive mechanisms would be developed for prosumers to voluntarily provide access to this information. For now, the exact details of how this collaboration will be implemented remain unclear, and the Ministry of Energy is working on developing ways to encourage prosumers to participate.
Impact on the national energy system
This initiative is seen as an essential step in increasing the share of renewable energy in Romania’s energy mix. At the same time, a more efficient management of data and energy flows will contribute to the stability of the grid, especially in the context of the energy transition. Access to real-time production and consumption data will allow better planning and integration of renewable energy, preventing problems caused by the variability of renewable sources and ensuring a more equitable distribution of energy. The legislative change will be discussed and refined in the coming period and its success depends to a large extent on active collaboration between prosumers and distribution operators.
