The Autonomous Region of Madeira has new legislation to regulate the self-consumption of renewable energy. Regional Legislative Decree No. 9/2026/M, already in force, adapts the national and European legal regime applicable to the sector to the insular reality, establishing mandatory procedures for the approval of new projects and reinforcing inspection mechanisms.
The new law comes in a context of significant growth: between 2020 and 2026, the number of production units for self-consumption (UPAC) in Madeira increased from 27 to more than 3,200 installations, with the total installed power rising from 1.72 MW to 27.67 MW. The speed of this expansion has made a more structured regulation urgent to ensure the stability of the regional electricity grid.
Among the main novelties, the differentiation of procedures by power levels prior communication, registration or license, as well as the obligation of prior inspection for all installations with power greater than 6.9 kVA, stands out.
The diploma also extends the radius allowed between the production units and the point of consumption: up to four kilometers in low voltage and up to 40 kilometers in medium and high voltage. Civil liability insurance is also mandatory for UPAC holders, with documentary evidence to be delivered by the 31st of January of each year.
The legislation also reinforces the framework for collective self-consumption and energy communities, with clear rules for organisation, management, and sharing, adapted to the specificities of the island’s electricity system.
Those interested in registering a production unit for self-consumption can do so through serupac@madeira.gov.pt.
For collective self-consumption records, the contact is serac@madeira.gov.pt.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
Views: 13
