Self-consumption of photovoltaic energy in homes soars

Savings in electricity bills of between 30% and 50% and the public’s commitment to sustainability are the two factors driving the market for the installation of solar panels in homes and businesses in Spain. In this article you will learn more about the benefits of photovoltaic energy self-consumption.

It is common to hear citizens say phrases such as “I don’t know what photovoltaic energy is”, “what is that about self-consumption”, “it must be very expensive” or “I prefer to continue with my electricity company”. All these exclamations are becoming part of the past for many, or at least this is shown by the 30% growth figures over the last year for solar panels, whose function is to satisfy self-consumption of energy. In fact, the highest growth was in the residential sector, which accounted for 19% of new installations, almost doubling the previous year’s figure.

Photovoltaic energy is generated from a free and inexhaustible source from the sun, which is why it is considered self-sustainable. These solar panels have a useful life of more than 30 years and the average payback time is eight years.

Individual self-consumption

In Spain, 99% of residential photovoltaic installations are located in an individual home. The investment for a standard 3.5 kilowatt (KW) installation, which is the most common size in Spain, is between 4,000 and 5,000 euros including VAT.

What requirements do I have to fulfil to be able to install photovoltaic panels at home?

If you are determined to change your traditional energy system for a photovoltaic one, the first thing to do is to make a study of the consumption in your home, so you can determine how much energy you are consuming, in the day, night, week and month. This analysis will give you more objective data about your consumption because you save more the higher the consumption during the day.

The recommendation is that there should be no surplus and that the energy produced should be consumed. In other words, the energy generation curve should coincide as closely as possible with the demand curve.

Your solar panel will be more profitable the more hours of sunshine it receives, it is also recommended to check if the municipality where you want to install it has help for the installation of these energy systems such as deductions of IBI or other taxes.

The interesting thing about this type of installation is that it is modular and can be expanded in the future, for example, when power is required for an electric car.

Do I need a building permit to install solar panels?

Some users consider that administrative procedures are, in part, the main difficulty when making the decision to benefit from the photovoltaic energy system, since six autonomous communities still maintain the obligation to request a building permit to install the panels. This procedure can delay the start-up of the system by up to six months. These autonomous communities are Madrid, the Basque Country, Cantabria, La Rioja, Murcia and Asturias.

Collective self-consumption

There is an interesting option of collective consumption thanks to the installation of photovoltaic panels in buildings with several neighbors. This allows users to save more money on the initial installation.

Collective self-consumption is ideal for large cities and also in places far from urban centers such as islands and mountains.

I WANT A HOUSE WITH SELF-CONSUMPTION

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