Solar Self-Consumption Optimization: How to Use More of Your Own Solar Energy

You invested in solar panels to save money on energy. But here's the uncomfortable truth: most Dutch homeowners only use about 30% of the solar energy they produce. The rest gets exported to the grid — and with net metering ending in 2027, that exported energy will be worth a fraction of what you pay for imported electricity.

The solution? Self-consumption optimization — strategies and technology that help you use your own solar energy directly, instead of sending it away. This guide shows you how to go from 30% to 80%+ self-consumption.

This article is part of our complete guide to energy management systems.

What is Self-Consumption and Why Does It Matter?

Self-consumption rate = the percentage of your total solar production that you use directly in your home.

Here's a simple example for a household producing 4,000 kWh/year from solar:

Self-Consumption Rate	Used at Home	Exported to Grid
30% (typical)	1,200 kWh	2,800 kWh
50% (optimized)	2,000 kWh	2,000 kWh
80% (with battery)	3,200 kWh	800 kWh

The Financial Impact After 2027

Currently, net metering values your exported energy at the same rate as imported energy (~€0.28/kWh). After January 2027:

	Current (Net Metering)	After 2027
Value of self-consumed kWh	€0.28	€0.28
Value of exported kWh	€0.28	~€0.05-0.07
Loss per exported kWh	€0	~€0.22

For a household exporting 2,800 kWh/year, that's €616/year in lost value after net metering ends. Increasing self-consumption from 30% to 80% saves most of that.

Strategy 1: Shift Consumption to Solar Hours

The simplest optimization requires no technology at all — just habit changes. Run energy-intensive appliances during peak solar hours (typically 10:00-16:00):

• Washing machine — 1-2 kWh per cycle
• Dishwasher — 1-1.5 kWh per cycle
• Dryer — 2-4 kWh per cycle
• Oven — 1-2 kWh per use

Impact: Can increase self-consumption by 5-10 percentage points.

Limitation: Requires you to be home or use timer functions. Doesn't help with evening consumption.

Strategy 2: Smart Heat Pump Control

If you have a heat pump, it's likely your single biggest energy consumer — using 3,000-6,000 kWh/year. Most heat pumps run on a temperature schedule that ignores solar production.

An energy management system can pre-heat your home during solar hours, then let the heat pump idle during the evening. Your home acts as a thermal battery.

How it works:

1. EMS detects surplus solar production
2. Heat pump setpoint increases by 1-2°C (barely noticeable)
3. Home absorbs thermal energy during the day
4. Heat pump can stay off longer in the evening
5. Less grid electricity needed overnight

Impact: 15-25 percentage point increase in self-consumption.

Requirements: Smart-enabled heat pump with API or modbus control.

Strategy 3: Smart EV Charging

An electric vehicle battery is 40-80 kWh — massive compared to your daily solar production. Smart EV charging ensures your car charges from solar energy whenever possible.

Solar-Only Charging

The EV charger only activates when surplus solar energy is available. Charging speed adapts dynamically:

• Lots of sun → charge at full speed
• Clouds passing → reduce charging speed
• No surplus → pause charging

Minimum Charge Guarantee

Most smart chargers let you set a minimum charge level by a certain time. The system will:

1. Try to charge from solar as much as possible
2. If the minimum won't be reached by your departure time, switch to grid charging at the cheapest hours

Impact: 10-20 percentage point increase (if you charge at home regularly).

Requirements: Smart EV charger (like Alfen, Zaptec, or Easee) with API control.

Strategy 4: Home Battery Storage

A home battery is the most effective way to increase self-consumption. It stores surplus solar energy during the day and releases it in the evening and night.

Typical Battery Sizes for Dutch Homes

System Size (Solar)	Recommended Battery	Self-Consumption Gain
3-5 kWp (8-12 panels)	5 kWh	+25-30%
5-8 kWp (12-20 panels)	10 kWh	+30-40%
8+ kWp (20+ panels)	10-15 kWh	+35-45%

Battery + Dynamic Pricing

With a dynamic energy contract, the EMS can go beyond solar storage:

• Charge from grid when prices are negative or very low
• Discharge to home during price peaks
• Reserve capacity for expected solar production tomorrow

This "grid arbitrage" can add €100-200/year in savings on top of the self-consumption benefit.

Battery Costs and ROI

Battery	Capacity	Price (installed)	Annual Savings*	Payback
Huawei LUNA 2000 5 kWh	5 kWh	€3,500-4,500	€350-500	7-13 years
BYD HVS 7.7 kWh	7.7 kWh	€4,500-6,000	€450-650	7-13 years
Tesla Powerwall 3	13.5 kWh	€8,000-10,000	€600-900	9-17 years

Savings estimates increase significantly as net metering ends. Post-2027 payback periods will be 30-40% shorter.

Strategy 5: Hot Water Buffering

Your electric boiler or heat pump boiler can act as a cheap thermal battery. Instead of heating water at a fixed time (often evening), heat it during peak solar:

• A 120L boiler stores roughly 7 kWh of thermal energy
• Heating it with surplus solar costs nothing
• That's 7 kWh you don't need from the grid tonight

Impact: 5-10 percentage point increase in self-consumption.

Requirements: Smart-controllable boiler or relay switch.

Combining Strategies: The Optimal Stack

The strategies above aren't mutually exclusive. Here's what a fully optimized home looks like:

Strategy	Self-Consumption Impact
Baseline (no optimization)	30%
+ Consumption shifting	35-40%
+ Smart heat pump	50-55%
+ Smart EV charging	60-70%
+ Home battery (10 kWh)	75-85%
+ Hot water buffering	80-90%

You don't need all of these. The right combination depends on your devices and budget. An EMS helps you get the most out of whatever equipment you have.

How StroomR Optimizes Self-Consumption

StroomR's energy management system automates all of these strategies in a single platform:

1. Connects to your solar inverter via the P1 port and inverter API
2. Monitors production and consumption in real time
3. Controls your devices — heat pump, EV charger, boiler, battery
4. Uses weather forecasts to predict tomorrow's solar production
5. Optimizes automatically — no manual scheduling needed

The best part? Our pilot program is completely free. You keep 100% of the savings.

Join the free StroomR pilot →

Key Takeaways

• Without optimization, you only use ~30% of your solar energy
• Net metering ends January 2027, making self-consumption critical
• An EMS can boost self-consumption to 50-60% without a battery
• Adding a battery pushes self-consumption to 80%+
• The combination of EMS + battery can save €500-1,000/year post-2027
• Start optimizing now to maximize savings before net metering ends

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Last updated: June 2025. Prices reflect the Dutch market.