Self consumption
This is a term that is used very often when talking about renewable energy installation. Indeed, if you have chosen to install solar panels and/or small wind, you must have asked yourself certain questions, including that of self-consumption! Self-consumption allows you to take a step closer to energy autonomy, targeting 100% autarcy.
Solar and Wind self-consumption: consuming the energy you produce
When we talk about solar and wind self-consumption, we are talking about directly consuming the energy produced by your photovoltaic panels and the wind turbine. There are several ways to enhance your production:
- Total self-consumption;
- Self-consumption with storage of surplus;
- Self-consumption with grid feeding
When thinking about the profitability of your wind and solar project, the logical way to setup your system is to directly consume the energy produce on site then store the excess in battery bank before feeding back to the grid.
In Sweden, the weather and season play an important role in sizing the system and the combination of solar and wind make a lot of sense, by providing energy in summer with long sunny day and winter with short windy day.
Total self-consumption
Total self-consumption means that the person who owns solar panels and wind turbine undertakes to use all of his electricity production. Each installation must remain connected to the network in order to take over when solar energy is not available (at night for example). Thus, when you do not consume all of your electricity, it is injected into the network automatically. It is important to keep in mind that consuming all the electricity produced does not allow you autonomy; you have the possibility of becoming energy independent only if you have a domestic battery.
Self-consumption with storage of surplus
Own consumption with storage
- Optimization with battery usage between 100% and 30% (SOC for backup)
- Solar is used for the loads during the day
- When the battery is full, the excess is fed to the grid
Full Grid Feeding: Self-consumption without the use of storage
- All battery energy is retained for a likely power outage.
- Solar is used for the loads during the day and excess is fed to the grid
- Next3 is like a grid inverter when the grid is always on.
Zero Grid Feeding: Your energy just for you
- Energy is never sold back to the grid.
- Solar is used for the loads during the day and to fill the battery, and excess is lost.
- Optimization of self consumption with battery use between 100% and 30% (SOC for backup)