Guide · Switzerland
How is self-consumption calculated?
The panels are generating, but how much of their electricity stays in your home? Self-consumption answers that question. The figure becomes useful when you connect it to everyday life, rather than simply chasing the highest percentage.
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How is self-consumption calculated?
Self-consumption is the share of PV generation used at the same time in the building or charged into the battery. It is not the same as self-sufficiency.
Generation and demand need to meet
Solar electricity can go straight to appliances running at the same time. A battery can save some for later. A car that is away all day does not charge from solar merely because your household owns it. Think about which uses you can realistically move into sunny hours.
A higher percentage is not always a better outcome
A small system may use a large share of its output at home while still supplying less of your electricity than a larger one. Look at kilowatt-hours and remaining grid purchases too. The aim is to make good use of your roof and meet your needs, not to win a percentage contest.
The key considerations
Formula: solar energy used directly or via the battery divided by total PV generation. SwissEnergy gives roughly 30% without measures, 50% with smart control and up to 70% with a battery as typical guidance.
Official and specialist sources
- SFOE: photovoltaic market – 2025 price study
- ElCom: electricity tariffs 2026
- Pronovo: one-off payment calculator
- SwissEnergy: home battery storage
- SwissEnergy: self-consumption
- European Commission: PVGIS
- WattBilanz: Pronovo, exports, guarantees of origin and tax
Sources and price assumptions last checked on 18 September 2026.
Continue with your own data
Compare your current routine with realistic changes to charging or appliance use, keeping absolute energy figures alongside the percentages.