(12ad) Reversal of digital electricity meter is not allowed. But, why not use more than one?

Belgium's Constitutional Court reached a verdict that the government can't introduce legislation that allows the reversal of digital electricity meter when people release electricity produced by their solar panels to the grid. The result: people have no return on their investment so fewer people may invest to install solar panels; some think it was better not to have invested in the future energy production. This while the energy sector already convinced politicians about the uncertainty of the electricity market while investments in renewables by consumers were too expensive so a punishment of €100 was introduced on top of the electricity bill; indeed, when the energy sector wants to build a new nuclear reactor plant than they can't have it that people produce their own electricity. A typical judgement to protect energy companies. The motivation of their decision according the article in the first link:

De Vreg was tegen die verlenging [van de reversal van de elektriciteitsmeter] en stapte dan ook naar het Grondwettelijk Hof. Enerzijds omdat die het effect van die nieuwe digitale meter teniet zou doen, namelijk ervoor zorgen dat mensen met zonnepanelen hun stroom meer verbruiken op het moment dat ze ze opwekken.

Thus, while again and again we are told we should moderate our consumption, the Flemish energy regulator argues that people should use the energy when they produce it. This way, little or nothing goes to the grid and thus energy companies need to build new energy production plants so the energy sector can continue to sell energy they produce.

Anderzijds schendt het ook de bevoegdheidsverdelende regels. Volgens het Vreg is het immers haar exclusieve bevoegdheid om de tarieven te bepalen en is het dus niet aan de Vlaamse regering om zo'n beslissing te nemen.

Thus, it is no longer the right of a democracy to set its own policies when they affect the tariffs that are set by a regulator. And thus society can't change. 

Ten slotte zou de regeling ook leiden tot discriminatie; enerzijds tussen de mensen die zonnepanelen plaatsten voor l januari 2021 en degene die dat daarna pas doen, anderzijds tussen mensen met en mensen zonder zonnepanelen.

The arrest results also in discrimination because people who installed solar panels last year can't benefit from meters that reverse and thus can't lower their electricity cost while those people didn't receive a premium that is introduced since 01/01/2021. Further a second discrimination is created between people with solar panels who still have an analog meter that reverse versus those who have already a digital meter. 

The argument that it results in discrimination between people with or without solar panels is a laughing stock: of course it creates a difference but not a discriminatory one as those with solar panels invested, thus spend money to install them and thus it is normal they benefit in comparison with people who didn't invest and thus buy all their energy. What about people who invest in a shop and sell products more expensive than they paid for them? Another new discrimination, more against people who invested to reduce their fossil fuel impact.  

How a different system may stimulate people to continue to invest in renewables

Thus, the reversal of digital meters when the electricity produced by people's solar panels flows to the grid is no longer allowed as digital meters should work only in one direction. This of course benefits companies as they still receive the excess electricity produced and thus can sell it to customers. This may bring us closer to what I have written before: people should be able to profit from their investment in order to create a society that becomes more energy self-sufficient via renewables without the need to depend on major investments by private companies that still cost society a lot; indeed, society may need some backup system by a company such as during winter or for the production of electricity for public transport such as trains but that can stop its production when renewables produce sufficient energy. Indeed, renewables mean in addition to solar panels also wind and water energy. And while in summer there will be more solar energy and thus less other energy, during winter when solar panels are less sufficient, energy companies will earn by selling more of their own produced energy. 

Digital meters to measure the electricity households and companies use and for which they have to pay but also digital meters that measure the electricity produced by solar panels (and other renewables) that is diverted to the grid and for which energy companies need to pay. Thus, a network of many smaller energy production sides. Added advantage: when one side stops working, others continue.

To summarise: neighbours should be able to invest together to reduce the cost of the investment while everyone who invested can use the electricity produced and thus less is released to the grid; it is of course possible that bigger investors receive more electricity whereby digital meters check what each household uses. 

Other people may decide to invest in renewable energy alone and sell their overproduction to neighbours or the grid; digital meters play a role in this. 

Finally, loans can be given to people who earn too little while have no neighbours or they are not willing to co-invest so people who normally can't afford the extra cost to install solar panels can install them although part of the production is released to the grid and sold with profit by energy companies; again, digital meters play a role. 

Thus, digital meters play a great role in this: they control how much electricity is taken from the grid by households and companies. BUT, another digital meter can record how much electricity households (and companies) release to the grid whereby energy companies pay for this electricity but can sell it more expensive to other users who need more electricity than they can produce; remember those companies also need to maintain the grid. 

Between households who co-invested to install solar panels, digital meters can measure how much electricity each household uses of which they receive a certain amount of electricity free according to their investment while they have to pay their neighbours or energy companies when they use more than their limit. 

People who could pay the investment alone can use the electricity their solar panels produce while excess can be sold to neighbours and energy companies and thus excess equals profits.

Households that received a loan can use part of the electricity their solar panels produce but should also release part to the grid without compensation so energy companies can sell this to others and recuperate the loan plus interest they gave although without the households having to pay cash as long as they release the amount of electricity to the grid that was agreed with the energy company. In case these households have a very large production, they too will receive money when they release more electricity to the grid than the amount that was agreed with the energy company. 

This way households benefit. However, also companies gain as they don't need to invest in large and expensive projects to produce electrify, a few smaller ones are sufficient. These companies also receive some electrify from households (and companies) that produce too much for which the energy companies need to pay except for some electricity they receive without payment as repayment by households (and companies) for the loan they received to install solar panels. The energy companies make profit by selling the electricity to others.

In case of massive overproduction such as during sunny summer days, people can use the electricity to cool their homes and do the washing of clothes during the day while energy companies lower or halt their own electricity production so the grid doesn't become overloaded. In winter when the sun shines less and weaker, wind production is in general larger but maybe even energy can be produced from rain fall while some energy production plants can produce in addition to compensate for less energy from solar panels.

Less electricity needed in future

Combine the above with more energy efficient equipment such as led lights in many buildings that need less energy together with equipment that have their own batteries such as today's tablets and future (desk) lamps and television but also cars so they can store energy for nighttime without the need to have massive rooms with batteries. Remember, progress means equipment become more efficient, thus use less electricity while batteries become smaller for the same storage of energy. Yes, future society will need less electricity.