4 tips to use your solar power right away

From all solar power you generate, you feed in about 70% to the net (source: MilieuCentraal). That's a shame, because it's more and more important to use this generated power yourself. That's because:

• Energy suppliers charge feed-in costs more often for the solar power you feed back. The more you feed back, the more you pay for it.
• The new coalition wants to stop the net-metering regulation from 2027. This means that you can no longer deduct the energy you feed back to the net from your total power consumption.
• When you use or feed in less energy during the peak moments, you help with the overload on the net.

With the 4 tips below, you can use as much of your own generated energy as possible to save money.

You can increase your own consumption when you turn on your washing machine, dryer or dishwasher during the day. Do this between 12:00 and 14:00, because that's when you generate the most energy. Usually not at home during the day? Some models allow you to delay the start with a timer or an app. Make sure you don't start these appliances at the same time. These appliances use the most energy at the start. When you turn them on at the same time, you use more energy than you generate at that moment.

Do you drive electrically? Choose your own charging station, so you can charge your car when the sun is shining. That way, you use about 60% of your own generated energy. Some charging stations also have a charging schedule. When you set the charging times between 12:00 and 14:00, your car automatically charges with solar power. This way, you pay less for a full battery. At Coolblue Energy, you can easily do so via the Coolblue app.

With a heat pump, you save on gas an electricity. A heat pump draws heat from the surroundings with electricity. A fully-electric heat pump also has a boiler for warm water. When you heat up this water with solar power, you use 60% of your generated energy (source: MilieuCentraal). With some models, you can easily set this with a timer. That way, the pump automatically heats the water when the sun is shining. Going for a hybrid heat pump? Your boiler only turns on for warm water or when it's really cold outside.

If you have your own solar roof, it's useful to get more electrical devices. Still have a gas stove for example? Replace it with an electric cooktop. You can also replace your tools with a gasoline motor with a corded or cordless model. For winter, you can also choose energy-efficient electric devices such as infrared panels or electric blankets to keep yourself warm while you work from home.

With a home battery, you can store solar power and use it later. When you cook with your electric cooktop at night, for example. The disadvantage is that home batteries currently don't have a lot of storage capacity, so you still feed energy back to the net during the day. You also pay a lot for a home battery and you don't make a lot of profit from it compared to solar panels.