Solar panels and self-consumption — is it worth it in your case?

Self-consumption with solar panels is no longer a thing for futurists: today it's a realistic option for many homes and businesses. But the fact that it's possible doesn't mean it pays off equally for everyone. Let's look at when it really is worth it.

How self-consumption works

Your panels produce electricity during the day. You use that energy directly at home (what's known as instant self-consumption) and, when you produce more than you use, the surplus is fed into the grid.

For that leftover energy you receive surplus compensation (compensación de excedentes): your supplier deducts its value from the energy portion of your bill. It's not money in your bank account, but it is a real reduction every month.

When it pays off most

Self-consumption performs especially well if:

• You use electricity during the day: working from home, someone at home in the mornings, businesses with daytime opening hours.
• You have good orientation: a south-facing roof with no shade gets far more out of every panel.
• Your consumption is high: the bigger your current bill, the sooner the installation pays for itself.

If there's hardly anyone at home until the evening, a good part of the production will go to surplus, which is compensated at a lower value than what you save by using it yourself. It's still worth it in many cases, but the payback is slower.

What return on investment means

The key question isn't "how much does it cost", but how many years it takes to pay for itself. To estimate that you need three figures: the cost of the installation, the expected annual saving and any grants or tax rebates available.

With the right sizing, many home installations pay for themselves within a reasonable period and, from then on, the energy they produce is practically free for the rest of their working life.

The first step almost everyone skips

Before thinking about panels, it's worth making sure your current tariff and contracted power are already optimised. There's no point sizing an installation based on a bill you were overpaying: first we sort out the contract, and self-consumption is properly calculated on that basis.

At luzgasia we start right there: you upload your bill, we analyse it and tell you whether your current tariff is competitive. It's the first step, and it's free and with no strings attached. Analyse your bill now and start from solid ground.