Co-Power Energy GmbH | Herzog-Heinrich-Straße 18 | 80336 Munich
info@beo.energy
Self-consumption is the direct use of self-generated electricity — reducing grid demand, electricity costs, and CO₂ emissions in a sustainable and economical way.
Self-consumption refers to the share of self-generated electricity that is consumed directly at the place of generation — for example from a photovoltaic system on the roof of a company building. Self-consumption reduces the need for grid electricity and therefore lowers electricity costs, grid charges, and CO₂ emissions.
A PV system generates electricity as soon as sunlight reaches the modules. If electricity is needed in the building at the same time (e.g. for machines, lighting, or IT), it is primarily consumed from on-site generation. Only if this is not sufficient is electricity drawn from the public grid.
Electricity that is not used directly can:
• be fed into the grid
• be temporarily stored in a battery storage system
• be used more efficiently through energy management systems
• Commercial and industrial companies with high electricity demand during the day
• PV and battery storage combinations to shift consumption over time
• Real estate sector: common areas and tenant electricity models
• Agricultural businesses with seasonal electricity demand
• Offices, data centers, and educational institutions with continuous base load demand
• Self-consumption rate (%): share of generated electricity that is used directly on site
• Degree of self-sufficiency (%): share of electricity demand covered by self-consumption
• Electricity cost savings (€/kWh): difference between grid electricity prices and PV generation costs
• Load profile: determines how much PV electricity can be used at the same time
• Optimization potential: can be increased through storage, load management, and controllable loads
Self-consumption is a key lever for reducing costs, lowering CO₂ emissions, and improving security of supply. Companies that use PV systems for their own electricity supply become less dependent on the electricity market and can secure stable energy costs over the long term. In combination with storage systems and intelligent load management, self-consumption rates can be significantly increased — making self-consumption an essential component of a sustainable energy supply.
