Self-consumption refers to the utilization of electricity generated by a rooftop solar system within a home or business premises. When a home or business that is connected to the electricity grid produces more solar power than it uses, the extra power is shared with others on the grid, replacing harmful electricity generated from fossil fuels with clean and environmentally friendly solar energy.
Ways to Increase PV Self Consumption
- A highly effective strategy for boosting self-consumption involves strategically aligning solar panels to maximize their productivity during the peak hours of household electricity consumption.
- You can also optimize energy consumption by aligning it with the peak production of rooftop solar panels.
- You can use timers to turn on appliances like hot water systems, dishwashers, and air conditioners when your rooftop solar panels are producing a lot of energy.
Maximizing the self-consumption of rooftop solar power not only enhances the economic benefits of a system but also reduces its payback time significantly. This is due to the fact that the feed-in tariffs for new rooftop solar have decreased substantially compared to the price of grid electricity.
Types of PV Self-Consumption
There are two types of photovoltaic self-consumption, depending on where the excess energy is directed – specifically, the energy that is not utilized by the facility’s owner.
1. No surplus, only self-consumption
This type of installation is equipped with an innovative anti-waste system that avoids the unnecessary export of surplus energy to the grid. You can add batteries to store excess energy and use it later, for example at night or on cloudy days.
2. Using excess energy for self-consumption
These installations enable the exportation of excess energy to the transmission and power distribution grid. You can either sell your energy to the grid or benefit from net balance, also known as net metering. Net balance allows you to offset the energy you export to the grid in your subsequent bill(s), depending on your country.
Also See: How to Calculate Solar Panel KWp (KWh Vs. KWp + Meanings)
