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What Is Solar Self-Consumption (and Why It Matters)?

Self-consumption is the share of your solar you use yourself. It’s the single biggest driver of solar and battery value.

WaterFuelAndSolarEnergy.com Editorial Team Updated November 2024 5 min read

Self-consumption is the percentage of your solar generation that you use on-site rather than export to the grid. Because you usually avoid buying at retail rates and earn little for exports, higher self-consumption means more savings.

  • Without a battery, self-consumption is often 30–60%
  • Shifting loads into solar hours raises it
  • A battery can lift it toward 80%+