Individual Self-Consumption

Renewable energy within everyone's reach.

Did you know that you can produce your own electricity sustainably and efficiently, contributing to a greener future? Individual self-consumption allows you to produce your electricity from renewable sources, use it for your own consumption and inject and/or sell the surplus into the grid. Find out how self-consumption works and how you can manage and monitor your energy injection.

I want to be a self-consumer
I'm already a self-consumer
How can I become a self-consumer?

Imagine a future in which your home depends essentially on electricity produced from renewable sources. With self-consumption, you can be part of a more sustainable future.

To become a self-consumer, you need to have a Production Unit for Self-Consumption (UPAC), i.e. an installation that produces electricity from renewable sources for self-consumption on your premises.

As a self-consumer you can produce renewable energy for your own consumption in your installation. And whenever there is excess production (known as "surplus"), you can store it in batteries or, alternatively, inject it into the Public Service Electricity Network (RESP). If you wish, you can also sell the surplus to a commercialiser.

See the step-by-step journey with all the steps to becoming a self-consumer or download the full PDF version (0.974 MB).

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Being a self-consumer step by step
01. What is your profile?

Before you go any further, you need to know what your profile is and how much power you're going to install, based on your consumption: Do you just want to produce and use this energy? Or do you also want to inject surplus energy into the grid and/or sell it?

Being a self-consumer step by step
02. Talk to an authorised technician

The technician in charge will help you identify the characteristics of your installation and accompany you through the process. You can consult the list of accredited technicians on the Directorate-General for Energy and Geology (DGEG) website.

Being a self-consumer step by step
03. Register at DGEG

If you want to inject/sell your surplus into the grid or if your installed power is over 700W, you need to register on the Self-Consumption Portal of the Directorate-General for Energy and Geology (DGEG). You'll need the Point of Delivery Code and the NIF from your electricity contract, which are on your invoice.

You will also need to know the conditions of your installation and identify the technician responsible for your request.

Being a self-consumer step by step
04. E-REDES will analyse your request

As soon as you register on the DGEG portal, E-REDES is informed and analyses the feasibility of your request. If the conditions are in line with your requirements, your request will be accepted.

At that point, you will receive a communication from E-REDES with a link that will allow you to follow the progress of the whole process.

Being a self-consumer step by step
05. Await the meter verification

E-REDES will check the meter to make sure it is suitable. If it isn't, it will replace it or configure it without any cost to you. At the end, you will receive confirmation that the meter is suitable.

Being a self-consumer step by step
06. Certify your installation

For power outputs above 30kW your self-consumption production installation must be certified by the DGEG.

To obtain certification, a prior inspection is required, which can be carried out by the DGEG or another accredited organisation.

You can find a list of this information on the DGEG website.

Being a self-consumer step by step
07. Consume the energy you produce and sell the surplus

With the right meter and a certified installation (if applicable), you can start consuming the energy you produce. 

What you don't consume, you will be able to inject into the grid or sell the surplus to a retailer. To do this, all you need is the Production Point of Delivery Code (CPE) that E-REDES sent you when we informed you the meter was suitable.

Being a self-consumer step by step
08. Check all the information at the Digital Counter

You can consult all the information about your installation, such as your consumption and the amounts injected into the network, via the E-REDES Digital Counter or the app E-REDES Digital.

What are the conditions of access to self-consumption?

UPAC up to 700W
Exempt from prior control if there is no surplus injection into the network.
UPAC from 700W to 30kW
Subject to prior notification.
UPAC from 30kW to 1MW
Requires prior registration and operating certificate.
UPAC over 1MW
Requires a production and operating licence.
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What equipment is needed?
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Esquema de uma casa com os equipamentos necessários para Autoconsumo Individual, listados nesta página

  1. Produce energy from a renewable energy source.

  2. 2.1. Bidirectional Meter
    It measures the installation's consumption and the surplus injected into the network.

    This meter is the responsibility of E-REDES. If the meter is not suitable for self-consumption, E-REDES will replace it at no cost to the customer.


    2.2. Totaliser Meter and GSM Card
    If you want an installed power of more than 4 kW, you'll need an additional meter. In addition to the electricity meter for which E-REDES is responsible, you will also need a totalising meter, which will measure the total electricity produced by the UPAC.

    The installation and all the costs associated with this meter are the responsibility of the self-consumer, as well as the modem and GSM telecoms card. The card is associated with the meter and allows data to be collected remotely, as well as read and monitored remotely.


    The GSM card that the customer purchases must fulfil the following requirements:

    • "Circuit Switch Data" communication, which corresponds to data communication over voice.
    • It must only allow calls to be received. It must not allow calls to be made.
    • No active PIN, i.e. SIM card without PIN.
    • M2M (Machine to Machine) type card. Must allow OTA (Over The Air technology) and STK (SIM ToolKit) commands.
    • Must have a minimum capacity of 250MB.

    If you are replacing the GSM card in your meter and would like to carry out a communications test, you can request this via the online form in the Contacte Us area.

    Don't forget that you'll also have to enter your GSM card details on the DGEG portal. Filling in these details correctly is essential to ensure that you can sell the surplus in the future, as this sale is pending the integration of the meter into the E-REDES system.

    See the list of totalising meters approved for self-consumption.

  3. Stores surplus energy for later use.

  4. Installations with an installed power of more than 250kW must be equipped with interconnection/homopolar protections for connection to the grid. These protections will ensure fast, effective and automatic separation from the electricity distribution network, as well as providing the function of homopolar maximum voltage protection.

    Find out more about production units for Self-Consumption with connection power >250 kW.

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