Why Raising Self-Consumption Is Critical After Hourly Netting
Self-consumption means using the energy you generate in the very same hour. After hourly netting, it became the single most important metric for solar returns.
What is self-consumption?
The self-consumption rate shows what percentage of your total generation you consume the instant it is produced, without exporting to the grid. Higher self-consumption = less grid purchase, less low-value surplus, faster payback.
Why it matters far more now
Under monthly netting self-consumption was relatively unimportant because surplus could be offset within the month. Under the hourly model, energy not consumed in that hour loses value. So the same plant, with the same output, can deliver very different returns depending on its self-consumption rate.
Typical self-consumption rates
- Grid-tied systems without storage: usually 25–40% (typically ~30%).
- With a correctly sized battery: 60–80% or more.
- Commercial/industrial sites operating in daytime: 70–95%.
- Simple load shifting (moving pumps, cooling, EV charging to daytime) alone can raise self-consumption by 15–40%.
How to raise self-consumption
- Right-sizing: design to your annual use and daytime load profile; avoid oversizing.
- Load shifting: move flexible loads into peak generation hours (10:00–15:00).
- Storage: capture midday surplus in a battery and use it in the evening.
- Monitoring: track hourly generation–consumption data and optimise operations.
Bottom line
In the new era, 'how much you consume at the moment of generation' matters as much as 'how much you produce'. A self-consumption-first design is the most economical way to reverse the downside of hourly netting; storage takes that rate to the maximum.
Ask the Egesa team for a self-consumption and sizing analysis for your site.Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good self-consumption rate?
Without storage, 30–50% is typical; with a battery 60–80%, and 80–95% for daytime commercial sites.
How do I raise it for free?
The cheapest method is load shifting: moving flexible loads such as pumps, cooling and EV charging to midday hours noticeably raises self-consumption.
Is storage essential?
If evening/night load is high, storage is the most effective way to raise self-consumption. With a daytime-dominant profile, load shifting and right-sizing are often enough.