The Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) has warned homeowners and businesses with illegal or unauthorised renewable energy installations that they face disconnection, fines, investigation costs and further penalties, as an island-wide inspection campaign gets under way on June 1.
The campaign targets those who installed photovoltaic systems (PV) without the required application and approval, as well as those who added panels to an already licensed installation, arbitrarily increasing its output capacity.
How inspections will work
According to information obtained by Philenews, physical inspections of every premises will not necessarily be required. Network data, production and energy injection records, and supplementary sources including satellite data can be used to draw firm conclusions about potential irregularities.
Most inspections are therefore expected to be targeted rather than random, with priority given to cases where the data indicates a discrepancy between a system’s approved capacity and its actual output.
Why it matters: curtailments and grid stability
Although cases of this kind have been identified before, the EAC said the problem has worsened recently, affecting not only compliant consumers but also the operation of the electricity system.
Illegal installations and unauthorised expansions have not been checked by the Distribution System Operator (DSO) and, according to the EAC, pose safety risks to users and premises, and threaten grid reliability and the smooth daily load curve.
Experts who spoke to Philenews explained that when undeclared installations or unapproved panels are present on the grid, calculations of actual production and injected energy are distorted.
This makes it harder to accurately assess grid needs and can lead to more frequent or larger curtailments — costs ultimately borne by compliant consumers. Identifying and deactivating illegal or unauthorised expansions is expected to help stabilise the system and allow curtailments to be managed more fairly.
The experts added that an accurate picture of the grid is critical, since curtailment decisions are made on the basis of production, demand and safety thresholds.
When part of the capacity on the grid goes undeclared, those responsible for managing load and production are working with incomplete data, distorting their decisions on cutbacks. This is why the campaign is being treated not only as a licensing compliance measure but also as a tool for better system management.
What happens if you are caught — and how to regularise
Those who have installed a PV system without approval, or increased the capacity of a licensed installation without submitting an application, are considered to be in breach.
They may disconnect or remove the extra panels and follow the approval process. Only once the required approval is secured may the panels be reconnected and brought back into operation.
If a breach is identified during an inspection, the installation’s certificate of suitability ceases to be valid and authorities may proceed with the immediate disconnection of the entire system.
Those found to be in breach will also be charged investigation costs, and cases will be referred to the police, the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA) and the Department of Electromechanical Services for further handling, with potential additional penalties.
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