Initial considerations

In order to simplify the procedure for acquiring the status of consumer-producer ( the „Prosumer“) the Government of the Republic of Serbia at its session held on 26 August 2021 has adopted the Decree on criteria, conditions and manner of calculation of receivables and liabilities between prosumers and suppliers. („Official Gazette od Republic of Serbia“, No. 83/2021, the “Decree”).

The Decree stipulates that Prosumers do not have contact with the state administration, that location conditions, a decision on a building permit, an installation permit and trial work are not required.

The Prosumer is defined as the end customer who has connected his own facility for production of electricity from renewable energy sources to internal installations, whereby the produced electricity is used to supply own consumption, and the surplus produced electricity is delivered to the system.

The Prosumer can be:

1. household;
2. housing community;
3. legal entity;
4. a natural person or
5. Entrepreneur.

Fulfillment of conditions

First of all, in order to acquire the status of Prosumer, it is necessary to fulfill some general conditions:

1. purchase of electricity for own needs;
2. concluded contract on complete supply with net metering or net calculation;
3. that the installed power of the production facility does not exceed the approved power of the end customer’s facility connection;
4. that the production facility and measuring point meet all technical and safety requirements, as well as
5. that the end customer connects the production facility to his internal installation.

Conditions that end buyers have to fulfill

The end customer is obliged to submit a request to the supplier for the conclusion of a contract on complete supply with net metering or net calculation.

Before submitting a request for concluding a contract on complete supply with net metering or net calculation, the end customer is obliged to build a production facility and adjust the metering point to acquire the status of Prosumer.

In the process of connecting the production facility, the end customer is obliged to submit to the system operator the original statement of the contractor confirming that the devices, installations and measuring point are correct and performed in accordance with regulations and standards.

Conditions that the supplier has to fulfill

The supplier is obliged to publish on its website the request form for concluding a complete supply contract and a model of a complete supply contract with net metering or net calculation.

A copy of the concluded contract on full supply with net metering or net calculation with the end customer, without commercial data or confirmation of the supplier on the concluded contract on complete supply the supplier delivers to the system operator to whose network the end customer is connected, electronically, immediately after concluding the contract. .

Conditions that the system operator has to fulfill

The competent system operator is obliged to ensure the possibility of submitting documents electronically, by opening a special e-mail address and to publish information on the method of delivery on its website.

The distribution or closed distribution system operator is obliged to connect the end customer’s facility as a Prosumer to the system and issue an appropriate act of connection within 5 days from the date of receipt of the contract on full supply with net metering or net calculation or confirmation of the contract submitted by the supplier.

If the system operator during the connection procedure, finds a malfunction of the device, installation or measuring point, it is obliged not to connect such a facility.

The method of acquiring the status of a Prosumer

The end customer who is a household, housing association or other end customer, acquires the status of a Prosumer by entering in the Register of Prosumers ( the “Register“).

The system operator is obliged to immediately, and no later than within five days from the day of connection of the Prosumer facility to the electricity system, ex officio enter the end customer whose facility is connected to the system as a Prosumer facility in the Register.

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The system operator is obliged to make the Register available on its website.

The process of connecting to the distribution network is more or less the same for housing communities and the economy, but there are also differences. Thus, housing communities will first have to conclude a mutual agreement on investing in the power plant and mutual relations – which will determine how much each member participates in investing in the power plant, and what part of the produced electricity belongs to him, and then enter the procedures to become Prosumers.

Every year on 1 April the delivered and taken over energy is settled between the procurer and the supplier. If in the previous 12 months the Prosumer delivered more energy than he consumed, the difference remains with the supplier free of charge. While, if the Prosumer spent more than he handed over, he is obliged to pay the difference.