You have photovoltaic solar panels and you're wondering how you can further reduce your bills and make the best use of the electricity generated free of charge by the sun. This is where the concept of solar self-consumption comes in.
We explain.
Self-consumption is a concept that refers to the fact of producing energy autonomously, generally from a renewable energy source, and then consuming this energy directly on site, at the place where it was produced.
Self-consumption of your photovoltaic energy means using the electricity produced by your panels directly, at the moment when they produce it, without having to call on the electricity grid.
Self-consumption is increasingly encouraged by governments and authorities because of its environmental benefits and its contribution to reducing energy demand on the public electricity grid.
How does photovoltaic self-consumption work in practice ?
Photovoltaic self-consumption means that you produce electricity using your photovoltaic solar panels and then consume this electricity on site.
For your photovoltaic panels to produce electricity, they need to be installed on a surface exposed to the sun. The photovoltaic cells will then capture the sunlight and transform it into electricity (direct current). The panels are then connected to an inverter, which converts the direct current into alternating current, which can be used by our household devices.
As photovoltaic panels need the sun to operate, they produce electricity mainly during the day.
It is estimated that around 37% of the electricity produced by a photovoltaic installation is consumed directly by the home, with the rest being fed back into the grid. In fact, unless you are retired or only teleworking, the day is often the time when you are least at home.
This massive re-injection of electricity produced by our solar panels into the grid can be reduced by increasing the rate of self-consumption. At an average of 37%, this self-consumption rate can easily be increased to 75 or 80% by making a few small changes to our habits.
The higher your self-consumption rate, the quicker your panels will pay for themselves.
How to increase your self-consumption rate ?
You can increase your self-consumption rate by optimising the way you produce and consume the electricity generated by your solar panels. Here are a few useful tips :
Run your household devices during the day
Make maximum use of devices such as dishwashers, washing machines and tumble dryers at peak production times, i.e. between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. If you're not at home, you can almost always programme your appliances for the time you want. By adopting these new habits, your self-consumption rate will increase by around 10%.
Use a storage battery
A storage battery will store the excess electricity produced during the day for later use, particularly in the evening. Despite the investment this may represent, your self-consumption rate will increase considerably by reducing dependence on the electricity grid.
Heat your domestic hot water during the day
If you have an electric boiler, it is highly likely that it will automatically heat your water during the night. Check this setting and programme your boiler during the day. If you don't already have a boiler, opt for a thermodynamic boiler, which uses 3 times less electricity than a conventional boiler !
Invest in a heat pump system
Combining a heat pump with photovoltaic solar panels can be a very interesting solution for increasing your self-consumption rate. Heat pumps are highly efficient heating and cooling systems, as they extract heat from the air, water or earth to heat or cool your home. However, they still require some electricity to operate. You can therefore increase your self-consumption rate by using your solar-generated electricity directly to power your heat pump.
Install an electric vehicle charging point
A charging point allows you to use photovoltaic electricity to charge an electric car.
The 3 major advantages of self-consumption
Electricity savings
By producing your own electricity from solar panels, you reduce the amount of electricity you draw from the grid, which means savings on your electricity bill.
Energy self-sufficiency
By drawing less electricity from the grid, you reduce your dependence on it. Above all, you become more autonomous and are no longer dependent on fluctuations in electricity market prices.
Energy transition
By producing and consuming your own electricity from a renewable energy source, you reduce your ecological footprint while accelerating the energy transition towards less fossil fuels and pollutants.