The Department of Energy (DOE) has removed several regulatory requirements for installing rooftop solar systems intended for a household’s or business’s own electricity use, according to a circular issued on August 5. Distribution utilities can no longer require pre-installation clearances, technical permits, or inspection fees before allowing these systems to be connected.
The change applies to Filipino homeowners and small businesses who want to generate their own electricity through solar panels without exporting excess power back to the grid. Before the circular, applicants often had to secure multiple approvals from their distribution utility, such as Meralco or a local electric cooperative, before installation could proceed. Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian had raised the issue in June, saying the volume of paperwork discouraged consumers from investing in solar power.
DOE Department Circular 2026-08-0017 sorts qualifying systems into three categories, each with its own set of requirements. Micro-solar systems (MSS), the simplest category, cover consumer-grade, plug-and-play setups with a total capacity of no more than one kilowatt paired with a micro-inverter.
Owners only need to notify their distribution utility using the DOE’s prescribed form; no building permit or Certificate of Compliance from the Energy Regulatory Commission is required. Consumers with analog electric meters do not have to wait for a meter replacement before installing an MSS; the utility has up to 12 months after notification to make the swap.
Larger installations fall under what the DOE calls Self-Generating Facility Zero-Export Solar Systems (SGF ZESS), which have no capacity ceiling but must be configured so that no electricity flows back into the distribution grid. This category is split into connected and isolated systems, with connected zero-export setups still requiring a building permit and, in most cases, a Certificate of Compliance from the ERC, in addition to notifying the distribution utility after installation.
Distribution utilities retain the right to study how an installation affects their network, but the circular requires them to shoulder the cost of that study themselves and bars them from using it to delay or block a qualifying installation.
“We are pushing faster, simpler, and more responsive approval processes so that more households and businesses can benefit from rooftop solar, lower their electricity bills, and strengthen their resilience against global energy price shocks,” Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said.
The DOE said the streamlined process supports the country’s renewable energy targets of 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040. Distribution utilities are expected to begin implementing the simplified requirements under the new circular.
