Two thirds of all people who own a PV array generate enough electricity to become self-sufficient if they have access to storage, according to German utility E.ON.
“66 percent of our clients with a solar array produce more electricity over the year than they consume,” the company’s head of German operations, Victoria Ossadnik, told broadcaster ntv. Using a home battery, owners can increase the share of self-generated electricity to around 70 percent.
Tanjent’s PowerBanx X battery storage, in pale grey enclosure (Image: Tanjent)
But E.ON said clients can become entirely self-sufficient by storing their power indefinitely using “virtual storage” already offered by the utility and several of its competitors. This “solar cloud” works similar to a bank account: People can fill it up with self-generated power, and withdraw it at a later date.
“The further roll-out of decentral PV arrays is not only sustainable, but also efficient and could significantly speed up the transition to renewable energies,” Ossadnik said.
Read more: Clean Energy Wire