What is self-consumption and why is it so important?
Self-consumption refers to the consumption of energy that you obtain directly from your solar panels and therefore not from the electricity grid.
The art of self-consumption is to use as much of your self-generated energy as possible, so that as little energy as possible is injected back into the grid.
If you do not use the energy generated by your solar panels straight away, this carbon-free energy flows back to the grid, which is a less sustainable option. It means the energy that you take from the grid again is not necessarily as green as before.
This energy may even be mixed with grey energy produced by gas plants or lignite plants. When you use your own solar energy efficiently, you can be sure your energy is the greenest it can be.
What is more, increased self-consumption will also save you money: you pay absolutely no distribution costs for the energy you generate yourself, whereas you will pay around fifteen euro cents for the energy you take from the grid. With the introduction* of the digital meter, using your self-generated energy immediately also becomes a more attractive option than injecting it into the grid.
*By the end of 2022, no less than 1.8 million digital meters will be in service in Flanders.
Discover all the consequences of the digital meter here!
Niko Home Control comes to the rescue with its solar mode
Now you know how essential it is to increase your self-consumption in view of the digital meter roll-out, it is also useful to take a look at how you can make the most efficient use of your self-generated energy.
For example, it is essential to coordinate consumption of your appliances as closely as possible with the times when your solar panels are generating energy.
So, at the time when you're injecting 1,000 or 2,000 watts, the trick is to switch on your appliances that consume roughly that amount of energy. A dishwasher, for example, uses between 800 and 900 watts.
You could choose to also switch on your dryer at the same time, resulting in net generation of zero and therefore minimising the energy you have to feed back to the grid.
So, you should coordinate the consumption of your appliances as effectively as possible to the amount being injected into the grid!
Fortunately, you don't need to monitor or control this all by yourself; Niko Home Control provides support tailored to you, enabling you to get the most out of your sustainable energy.
How can you increase your self-consumption?
What is solar mode?
With the Niko Home Control solar mode, you can make the most efficient use of your self-generated solar energy. For example, the solar mode automatically increases your self-consumption,
or if you are not at home, Niko Home Control will activate your connected appliances automatically when sufficient solar energy is available.
How exactly does it work?
Niko Home Control offers connection to the digital meter. Not only that, the solar mode monitors your digital meter down to the second. This smart connection allows you to see whether energy is being injected into the grid.
Precisely because this deliberate injection into the grid indicates that your solar panels are generating more than you are using, this is the ideal time to switch on your appliances. In this case, the handy solar mode makes this happen automatically!
How do you control your appliances using Niko Home Control solar mode?
All you need is a number of smart plugs or connected wall socket outlets, which are only activated when solar energy is available, and a wireless smart hub for Niko Home Control.
If you have smart appliances at home, you can also control them easily with Niko Home Control via the connection to partner brands or via the online platform IFTTT if you have smart appliances that are compatible with it.
Heat pumps and boilers now increasingly feature special connection points intended for smart control based on low energy rates.
By using our connected socket outlets, smart plugs or switching module, your existing boiler or heat pump can also be activated whenever there is overproduction of solar energy.
Good to know!
Once solar energy is no longer available, you can set the very latest time when solar mode needs to be activated. Once activated, the appliance will remain active for the period you have set, so you can always be sure that your appliances will be switched on. You can also determine yourself how long appliances must stay on for. Furthermore, you can determine the order in which certain appliances need to be switched on first and which are left until last, meaning that you're in control at all times!
If you do not have any appliances that can be controlled using solar mode, Niko Home Control can show you information about your self-consumption percentage. Smart energy alerts automatically keep you informed when there is overproduction, enabling you to also switch on your appliances yourself manually.
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