Self-consumption is the portion of a solar system's output used directly in the home at the moment it is produced, rather than exported to the grid. Under net billing, self-consumed energy is worth the full retail price you avoid paying, while exports earn a lower credit, so a higher self-consumption share means higher savings. It depends on when your household uses power: homes that are occupied in the daytime, run pool pumps or air conditioning in sunny hours, or charge an electric vehicle at midday self-consume more. A battery raises self-consumption by storing surplus for the evening. Our calculator lets you set the share; the default is a planning assumption, so adjust it to your household.
Related terms and pages
- Net billing: Billing in which exported solar is credited at a rate below what you pay for power.
- Time-of-use rate: An electricity rate whose price per kWh depends on the hour, highest in the evening peak.
- Calculator assumptions