Chile Installs 6.4 MW Net Metering Systems

• Chile recorded 900 commissioned facilities under its net metering scheme since October 2014
• The total capacity of net metering systems is still rather small - reaching 6.4 MW
• Energy agency SEC is introducing changes to existing law that permits net metering
• The new regulations are being introduced to streamline the processing time of projects and their commissioning

Chile's Superintendencia de Electricidad Y Combustibles (SEC), country's energy agency, has recorded installation of 6.4 MW of solar PV capacity under net metering since October 2014. Distribution companies received more than 1,500 requests for information and more than 1,200 connection requests since the law of Citizen Generation came into force.

The 6.4 MW PV capacity comes from 900 commissioned facilities.

The Superintendent of the SEC Luis Ávila Bravo said during a presentation to introduce the new regulation for installations under the net metering scheme, "The trend is clear and the facilities under the Citizen Generation Law have been increasing month by month throughout the country. If we compare ourselves with leading Latin American countries, such as Mexico or Uruguay, in the early years, our results have been greater in the number of projects. "

The changes will reduce permit periods associated with small projects that do not generate significant impact on the network. Residential complexes will now have a special connection procedure to ease and expedite the process.

SEC will also seek to reduce the documents required in the connection process. The new regulation will also establish legal conditions for the SEC to implement a platform to conduct the process online.

With these changes, SEC expects to streamline the processing time of projects and their commissioning.

At the end of June 2016, Chile had an installed solar power capacity of 1,267 MW (see PV Additions Chile June 2016). Post that, the country's Center for Innovation and Development of Sustainable Energy (CIFES) has not reported additions of renewable capacity on a monthly basis anymore.