It is more and more common, and we see it with our customers as well: not all the solar energy generated can always be injected into the grid, which can cause unnecessary costs. PV curtailment puts a stop to this phenomenon, but can also cause energy losses and reduced yields. I list the pros and cons for you.
What is PV curtailment?
“PV” in PVurtailment stands for Photovoltaics, or solar energy (from solar panels). We speak of PVurtailment when the solar panels on your farm produce more electricity than the grid can handle. This partially or fully limits energy generation.
This is applied during peak times to reduce the amount of electricity added to the grid. This helps to balance the power grid and reduce “congestion” on the grid.
PV curtailment occurs at:
- Limitations of the grid at certain times
- Overproduction during sunny periods
- Regulations limiting injection
As a result, some of your solar energy cannot be used or stored, which is inefficient and can increase costs. Supply and demand must always be matched. If they are not, we face imbalance and the energy grid functions less well.
Why is PV curtailment important for your SME?
A surplus of electricity creates negative electricity prices: you may then be paying for solar feed-in. It is smart to have curtailment applied at that time. This way you avoid costs from negative pricing, but may not get the maximum financial return from your solar panels.
So PV curtailment also has some drawbacks:
- Reduced yield: Your solar panels are not delivering their full potential.
- Financial impact: Less energy injection means lower revenue or higher energy costs.
- Sustainability: Energy loss through curtailment means your company contributes less to green energy.
Ways in which you can make a difference include:
- DA curtailment (Day-Ahead) is the planned curtailment of production based on market data. This way can save you up to 300 euros per 100 kVA installation per year.
- IMB curtailment (Imbalance) involves real-time intervention to eliminate an imbalance. This saves up to 10 times more than planned curtailments.
PV curtailment holds no secrets for PowerBee
With our experience in the energy sector, you have come to the right place to effectively optimize PV curtailment in your business:
- Real-time monitoring of PV production and grid capacity. By understanding production and grid capacity, we make adjustments.
- Smart coupling with BESS (battery storage) so that excess energy is stored rather than lost. We integrate battery storage to store excess energy for later use.
- Load Shifting and EMS Integration To shift consumption to times of overproduction. This allows you to run energy-intensive processes during production peaks.
- Predictive analytics to predict future curtailment and take proactive action. This allows you to automatically steer afterwards to prevent losses and maximize returns.
Conclusion
Deploying PV curtailment has a significant impact on the yield of your solar panels, both negatively and positively. With our knowledge of energy monitoring and smart energy management, you prevent energy loss, maximize your company’s yield and save on energy costs. At the same time, as a company, you actively contribute to a sustainable future.