Energy billing - how does it work?
Solar Roof Energy Billing
Wondering how solar roof energy billing actually works? This is a completely natural question - after all, you are investing in a system that is supposed to bring you concrete savings. Let's take a look at how the accounting of produced energy looks in practice in the current net billing system.
Where to start? Two-way counter and new billing system
The first step after installing a solar roof is to replace your existing meter with a two-way meter. It is he who will record both the energy you take from the network and the energy you give to it. The power plant replaces the meter free of charge when the photovoltaic installation is declared.
How does the current net billing system work?
In the net billing system, the energy you enter into the grid is valued at the current market price of energy. It's a bit like selling on the stock exchange - the value of your energy changes depending on the current market situation. Funds from the sale of energy go to your individual deposit account, which you can use to pay future energy bills.
It is important to understand that the price at which you sell energy to the grid (average monthly market price) is usually lower than the price at which you later buy it (the retail price from your tariff). This is why maximizing self-consumption and storing surplus energy is crucial.
Why is energy storage necessary now?
In the current billing system, the energy storage has become a practically indispensable element of a photovoltaic installation. Why? It allows you to keep the energy produced “at home” instead of selling it at a lower price to the grid to buy back more expensive later.
Example: at sunny noon, your roof produces excess energy. Instead of giving it to the network at the market price (say 0.60 PLN/kWh), you store it in your own battery. In the evening, when you need more energy, instead of buying it from the network at a retail price (e.g. PLN 1.20/kWh), you use the stored reserves. The difference in price is your real savings.
Self-consumption - the foundation of economic efficiency
The most financially advantageous is to consume energy at the time of its production or to use your own energy storage. So, it is worth:
- Plan the operation of energy-intensive equipment for the hours of greatest production (usually 10:00-16:00)
- Use home automation systems to optimize energy consumption
- Install energy storage with a capacity adapted to your consumption profile
How to choose the size of the energy storage?
The optimal size of the energy storage is selected individually by analyzing:
- Your daily energy consumption profile
- Photovoltaic installation size
- Typical production surpluses in the summer
- Energy demand in the evening
For the average single-family home, warehouses with a capacity of 10-15 kWh often work, although each case requires an individual analysis.
How to read the settlements?
In your billing account you will see:
- Prosumption deposit balance (proceeds from the sale of surplus energy)
- Amount of energy taken from the grid
- Amount of energy input to the grid
- Current energy prices (purchase and sale)
It is worth regularly monitoring these values through the application available from your energy retailer to optimize the use of the system.
Practical tips for maximum savings
In the current billing system, the key to maximum savings is:
- Own energy storage - to avoid an unfavorable difference between the sale and purchase price of energy
- Intelligent energy management - automation systems to help you get the most out of your own production
- Regular monitoring of the system - allowing you to quickly catch possible production problems
- Conscious planning of higher energy consumption - preferably for hours of good production from a solar roof
Modern energy management systems can predict both energy production and consumption. By analyzing weather data and your habits, they automatically adjust the performance of your energy storage to maximize your savings. Some systems achieve up to 95% efficiency in predicting the optimal charging and discharging moments of the energy storage.
