To make their PV system more profitable, PV system owners are always advised to increase their rate of self-consumption. Why is that?
Thomas: Increasing your rate of self-consumption means using the power you generate with your photovoltaic system yourself instead of feeding it into the grid. In most countries you get less for the energy that you provide to the grid than for the power you have to pay for from the grid.
So, if you can cover your energy requirements with the solar power you generate yourself, you will save money. This in turn means that the PV system pays for itself faster.
How do you optimise your self-consumption?
Thomas: Ideally, try and consume energy when a lot of it is being produced. You can do this by using an integrated energy management function in the inverter to control smart electrical devices, for example. Alternatively, certain appliances like tumble dryers, washing machines or dishwashers can easily be switched on using a timer.