Solar self-consumption surplus in the Canary Islands
Do your panels generate more than you use? That energy can be turned into credit in your favour. We'll assess it for free.
Get your free assessmentWhat is self-consumption surplus?
The energy your panels generate that you don't use. Instead of being lost, it's fed into the grid and offset on your bill. With the sun hours we get here, it's normal to generate quite a bit more than you're using around midday.
Standard compensation has a limit almost no one tells you about
With the traditional simplified compensation scheme, what you feed in is deducted from the energy portion of that bill. And that's as far as it goes.
If in a given month you generate more than you use, that extra credit isn't saved: it's lost. It can't be applied to the power term or taxes either. That's why some people with a good installation keep paying a bill every month without understanding why.
The virtual battery: what's left over isn't lost, it builds up
This is where the difference lies, and it's one of our strong points. A virtual battery doesn't store electricity. What it stores is the euro value of your surplus, as credit that keeps building up instead of evaporating every month.
That credit has two big advantages:
- It covers the whole bill, not just the energy. It can also be applied to the power term and taxes, so in good months the bill can end up close to zero.
- You can spend it on other supplies in your name. The credit generated by the roof of your house in Adeje can be deducted from the bill of your business, a shop, a second home or a relative's flat, wherever they are.
For a family with more than one home, or anyone with a house and a business, this changes the numbers completely.
What's worth knowing beforehand
Not all energy companies offer a virtual battery, and those that do don't apply it the same way. There are two things worth looking closely at:
- The credit expires. Depending on the company, between two and five years.
- The credit doesn't travel with you. If you switch energy company, whatever you've accumulated is usually lost.
That's why choosing the right company from the start matters more than it seems. And that's why we don't sell for any one of them: we compare which one suits you best based on what your installation produces and how many supplies you have in your name.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is a virtual battery?
A service from the energy company that converts your surplus into euro credit and builds it up, instead of only deducting it from the current month's bill. It's not a device and it doesn't store electricity: it's credit in your favour.
How is it different from a physical battery?
A physical battery stores electricity at your home so you can use it at night. A virtual battery stores the monetary value of the energy you've already fed into the grid. You can have both — they're not mutually exclusive.
Can I use the credit on another home or my business?
Yes, as long as the supplies are in your name and with the same company. It's one of the system's biggest advantages, and many people with panels don't know it exists.
Can I end up paying zero for electricity?
In high-production months, yes. With a virtual battery, the credit can also cover the power term and taxes, which is exactly what standard compensation doesn't touch. What you can't do is get paid money back: the credit deducts, it doesn't generate income.
Do I need physical batteries to have surplus?
No, it's the other way round. Without physical batteries, everything you don't use straight away is fed into the grid, so you generate more surplus.
What if I already have panels installed?
We check it just the same. It's common to find installations that have spent years feeding in surplus with poor compensation, or with no virtual battery at all, giving away energy without realising it.