Self-consumption and energy storage

Generate your own electricity using solar and wind energy The main objective of self-consumption is to optimize the use of solar energy and wind energy. The obstacle that remains with this type of installation is that the hours that generate energy (the day for the sun) do not correspond 100% with the hours where we spend this energy.

At GEV, we offer optimized self-consumption solutions: surplus energy is stored locally and released according to demand.

Self-consumption or off-grid energy?

Off-grid energy, as its name suggests, is not connected to the national electricity grid. An off-grid installation must be able to provide all of the energy required by the home. The disadvantage of off-grid installation is the need to store several days of autonomy in expensive and bulky batteries. In general, in an off-grid installation, the converter and the batteries are oversized in order to be able to respond to occasional peaks of activity or long periods of low sunlight.

Self-consumption has a different system since the installation is connected to the electricity network. The batteries are only present to offset energy consumption by a few hours. Also, during occasional peaks in consumption or long periods of poor sunlight, it is possible to call on the electricity network to supplement the energy requirement. In general, in a self-consumption installation, the converter corresponds to the “base load” and does not need to be oversized because the high occasional needs will be met by the electricity network. The base load corresponds to the share of the energy requirements of low-power equipment, compared to the total energy requirements. Calculating the base load makes it possible to import fewer high energy demands from solar panels and thus optimize their use.

Reducing the demand on the electricity network for peak consumption is also possible in self-consumption, but this requires a greater investment in equipment, particularly concerning the converter or the batteries.

The key to success: monitor and control your installation

The objective of self-consumption is to limit its dependence on the electricity network, it is therefore necessary to optimize its energy expenditure so that it corresponds to the hours which generate a lot of energy (hours of sunshine). Recent battery converters and controllers make it possible to achieve this goal. Monitoring systems are essential and crucial to optimize available energy. A self-consumption installation without a monitoring system will consume much more electricity from the network and less from the solar panels, because the installation will be poorly optimized.