Islamabad (Commerce Desk) According to sources in the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), off-grid solar users do not require any licensing as they are not connected to the national power system.
Sources said that off-grid consumers do not fall under net metering or net billing categories, therefore the existing regulatory licensing framework does not apply to them. It has been clarified that there was no previous requirement for such a license, nor is any such new condition under consideration.
However, changes have been proposed in the new regulatory framework related to the net billing system, under which registration and permission procedures may be revised for new consumers based on category.
According to sources, earlier solar users with a load above 25 kW were required to obtain a NEPRA license, while those with 25 kW or less were approved by distribution companies, and no fee was charged.
Under the proposed new system, the licensing process for users with 25 kW or less is also under consideration, with a proposed fee of Rs 1,000 per kW. However, off-grid solar users will not be affected by this proposed system.
