Annual generation alone is not enough.
Over a year, a company can generate roughly as much energy as it consumes and still feed it into the grid at midday and buy it in the evening.
We look at the time profile: direct use of generation, surpluses, grid draw and any curtailment of the PV system. Working days, weekends and seasonality all matter.
A surplus is not automatically a reason for a large battery.
We need to know the power and duration of the surpluses as well as later consumption. Part of a capacity sized only for the best summer days could remain underused for the rest of the year.
Energy that the company can consume directly does not need to pass through the battery just to use it. Storage involves losses and uses up the equipment's service life.
We also look at other possible uses.
A battery does not have to work only for photovoltaics. Depending on the project, it can help with demand peaks, short-term power shortages or vehicle charging. Backup power is possible only with an appropriate technical design.
Combining functions can improve the use of the system. However, their benefits cannot simply be added up without respecting the shared power, capacity and reserves.
Does it make sense to continue with a detailed analysis?
An initial assessment can show strong potential, a need to combine several functions or an insufficient return on the investment. Even a decision not to install a battery for now is a useful result.
If you are planning to expand your PV system, we also compare options with larger generation, with and without a battery.