Net Billing Moldova 2026 — How to Sell Solar Energy to the Grid and How Much You'll Get
Complete guide to net billing (facturare netă) in Moldova 2026: current ANRE purchase price, bill calculation formula, how to withdraw your credit as cash and why self-consumption beats selling to the grid.
Since April 2026, Moldova's residents pay Premier Energy 3.56 MDL per kWh. For the same energy fed into the grid, a prosumer receives 1.2–1.8 MDL. The difference — 2 to 3 times. This is the central paradox of net billing: you produce the same energy, but «sell» it at half the price you buy it for.
This article covers how the facturare netă mechanism works, the formula used to calculate your monthly bill, when and how you can withdraw accumulated credit as cash, and what strategy to adopt to maximise your financial benefit.
2026 Tariffs: How Much Does a kWh Cost
From 2 April 2026, new tariffs approved by ANRE under Decision No. 222 of 31.03.2026 are in effect:
**Premier Energy (central and southern Moldova):**
- Residential consumers (low voltage 0.4 kV): **3.56 MDL/kWh** (excl. VAT)
- Night tariff (23:00–07:00, with hourly meter): **2.19 MDL/kWh**
**RED Nord (northern Moldova):**
- Residential consumers: **4.00–4.32 MDL/kWh** (depending on the tariff applied)
**Purchase price for prosumer surplus:** Set monthly based on the average wholesale market price. In 2024–2025 it ranged between **1.20 and 1.85 MDL/kWh**. Published on the ANRE website (anre.md) and in the Premier Energy personal account.
Important context: from January 2026, the government eliminated the compensation for the first 110 kWh (in 2025, residents paid a subsidised 2.34 MDL/kWh for these volumes). Now everyone pays the full tariff — which makes solar panels even more financially attractive.
How Net Billing Works: The Calculation Mechanics
The mechanism is straightforward: each month Premier Energy or RED Nord calculate two flows:
1. **Consumption from grid** (kWh × tariff = amount due) 2. **Energy fed into grid** (kWh × ANRE monthly average purchase price = credit)
Final bill = consumption − surplus credit.
If the credit exceeds consumption, a **positive monetary balance** (sold pozitiv) is created. It carries over to the next month.
**Three ways to use a positive balance:** 1. **Offset future bills** — automatically, each month 2. **Advance payments** — credited against future billing periods 3. **Transfer to bank account** — once per year, upon the prosumer's request
The last option is an important detail most people don't know about. Under Law No. 10/2016 (Art. 39², para. 2), the supplier is obliged to pay out the positive balance in cash once per year on request. Submit your application to Premier Energy at the end of December or beginning of January.
**What does NOT work:**
- Monthly cash payment — no, only bill offsetting
- Selling to a neighbour or third party — no, only to your own supplier
- Rolling over the balance indefinitely — no, the unused annual balance resets on 31 December
How to Become a Prosumer: Documents and Timelines
The entire process is managed by your authorised installer — you don't need to visit supplier offices in person.
**Documents for connection (submitted by installer):**
- Technical design of the system (prepared by installer)
- Single-line electrical diagram
- Equipment technical specifications (panels, inverter)
- Equipment purchase contract
- Copy of owner's identity document
- Existing electricity supply contract
**What the supplier provides free of charge:**
- Installation of the bidirectional meter
- Technical design approval
- Prosumer contract
- Approval and connection: **15–30 working days** from submission of complete documentation
- Typically longer during summer peak (June–August) — more applications
**The 100 MW cap:** By mid-2025, ~46–48 MW of the 100 MW cap had been used. At the current rate, the cap could be exhausted within 18–24 months. After exhaustion, new on-grid connections without a battery will no longer be possible.
How Much You Actually Receive for Surplus
The purchase price = the average energy procurement price on the wholesale market for the month, published by ANRE. It is not fixed and changes every month.
**Historical range 2024–2025:**
| Period | Purchase price (MDL/kWh) | Consumption tariff |
|---|---|---|
| Winter (Jan–Feb) | 1.40–1.60 | 3.56 |
| Spring (Mar–Apr) | 1.30–1.50 | 3.56 |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | 1.20–1.55 | 3.56 |
| Autumn (Sep–Oct) | 1.50–1.85 | 3.56 |
The highest purchase price occurs in autumn, when there is less renewable generation in the region. The lowest — in summer, when the wholesale market has a surplus of solar energy.
**Conclusion:** even in the most favourable month, you receive 2–3 times less for surplus than you pay for consumption. This is precisely why correct system sizing is critical.
Optimal Strategy: How to Maximise Your Benefit
**Rule #1: don't oversize your system** Calculate capacity so that ~85–90% of annual output is self-consumed. Producing more than you consume means exporting surplus at half price.
Formula: Capacity (kW) = Annual consumption (kWh) ÷ 1,300 (kWh/kW/year for Chișinău)
Example: bill 1,200 MDL/month ÷ 3.56 MDL = ~337 kWh/month × 12 = ~4,050 kWh/year ÷ 1,300 = **~3.1 kW** optimal capacity
**Rule #2: shift consumption to daytime hours** Washing machine, dishwasher, EV charging, water heater — all better run between 10:00 and 16:00, when the system produces at maximum. You directly replace expensive grid energy with your own.
**Rule #3: monitor the purchase price** The price is published on anre.md at the start of each month. In months with a high price (>1.6 MDL/kWh), exporting surplus is more worthwhile. In months with a low price — maximising self-consumption is especially important.
**Rule #4: submit your payment request in January** If a positive balance has accumulated over the year — submit a request to Premier Energy by 31 December for transfer to your bank account. Otherwise the balance resets.
**Rule #5: consider a battery as tariffs rise** A battery allows you to store daytime surplus and consume it at night at the cost of production (~0 MDL), instead of buying at 3.56 MDL/kWh nightly. For a 5 kW system + 10 kWh battery: +50,000–65,000 MDL in cost, but night consumption from the battery fully replaces expensive grid energy.
Common Prosumer Mistakes
**Mistake 1: system too large** Installed 10 kW with consumption of 3 kW/year — half the output goes to grid at 1.4 MDL/kWh instead of replacing 3.56 MDL/kWh consumption. Payback extends by 2–3 years.
**Mistake 2: didn't submit the payment request** Accumulated 800 MDL credit over summer — lost on 31 December. Premier Energy does not transfer automatically: you need to submit a request.
**Mistake 3: works started before the prosumer contract** System is running but you're not a prosumer — surplus goes into the grid for free. Always the contract first, then connection.
**Mistake 4: contracted power not updated** System capacity must not exceed contracted power with your supplier. If you have 3 kW contracted — system maximum 3 kW. Otherwise Premier Energy will refuse connection.
Frequently Asked Questions
**Can I receive cash for surplus monthly?** No. Monthly, the credit is only deducted from your bill. Cash to bank account — once per year, on request, by 31 December.
**Does the system work on weekends when I'm away?** Yes. Surplus automatically enters the grid and is recorded by the meter. Credit is granted regardless of your presence.
**What happens during a power outage?** On-grid systems disconnect automatically (anti-island protection). Hybrid systems with battery storage continue operating autonomously.
**How do I find the current month's purchase price?** On anre.md → «Energie electrică» section → «Prețul mediu de achiziție energie prosumatori». Also in your Premier Energy personal account.
**Does the purchase price change during the month?** No. The price is fixed for the entire month, set at the beginning of the month.
**What will happen to the purchase price in future?** Impossible to predict precisely. It depends on the wholesale market. In 2024–2025 it held in the 1.2–1.85 MDL/kWh range. With Moldova's growing renewable generation (858 MW by autumn 2025), summer prices may trend lower.