“We have clients who save 75% of their electricity bill”, interview with Joan Noguera.

More and more companies and individuals are opting for self-consumption solar energy installations. There are two reasons that stimulate this transition to an energy model that is within the reach of each and every one of us: saving on electricity consumption and greater environmental awareness.

This has meant that the renewable energy sector is growing, with an increasing demand for photovoltaic installations in homes and industries, as well as for bio-electrical installations, services in which a young company based in Pedreguer, SOLNET, has become a benchmark in the region. The formula for achieving this has been a personalised approach, personalised advice based on trust, prioritising customer satisfaction and the passion of those who believe that doing a necessary job not only benefits each individual customer, but also society as a whole.

We talked to its manager, Joan Noguera, to find out why more and more people are opting for self-consumption solar energy, what are the characteristics of the services SOLNET offers and what is the energy model they defend.

-What services do you offer at SOLNET?

We are a company specialised in renewable energies -especially in the field of photovoltaic self-consumption-, energy consultancy and electrical bio-installations. We provide a comprehensive service to achieve the best savings for our clients.

Tell us what this integral service consists of.

-We offer a complete management of the whole process, starting with the preliminary study of the client’s electricity bill and the subsequent energy assessment; if the client is interested in a self-consumption installation, we carry out the study, calculations and design and if the client wants to carry it out, we carry out the installation and the contract with the supplier, so that the client does not have to do any work.

What is a self-consumption photovoltaic installation and how does it work?

-Basically, the systems and elements that make up a self-consumption installation are: the generation system, in particular the photovoltaic modules that convert solar radiation into electrical energy; the inverter, which transforms the energy from the panels into alternating current to be used in our appliances; and the auxiliary systems, such as the wiring, the protection elements, the measuring and monitoring or visualisation equipment.

In terms of how it works, when your photovoltaic installation produces enough energy for your consumption, the electricity does not come from the grid, it only comes from your solar installation and, therefore, it is energy that we do not buy; when there is no sun, we consume from the grid and, if we produce more than we consume, we send the surplus energy to the grid and compensate the kWh in the bill. You will never be without electricity if there are consecutive days without sun, you simply do not consume the energy from your panels.

What are bio-electrical installations?

-They are conventional electrical installations but with bio-construction standards, that is to say, made with ecological parameters, sustainability and care for people’s health. It is about making healthy houses that do not have electromagnetic fields produced by the electrical installations, we study the conductions and layouts to avoid, for example, that cables pass through the top of the ceiling which guarantees a better rest.

What are the advantages of opting for self-consumption solar energy?

-The advantages are clear. The first is the economic savings you get. If we are talking about a company, for example, one of the most important fixed costs is the energy it consumes, so if it manages to produce all its own energy, or a good part of it, it reduces one of its main fixed costs. The same is true for housing.

Another benefit is the environmental one, whoever opts for this energy actively fights in favour of renewable energies and against climate change and the current energy model.

In terms of numbers, how much savings can a large conventional house have if it switches from conventional energy to solar energy and opts for self-consumption?

-The savings on electricity bills depend on each case, they can be very varied. We have customers who are saving 70% of their electricity bill, others can reach 100% because they use batteries. The vast majority are saving between 30% and 50%, which is already a considerable amount. Each customer, whether in the home or in business, has its own characteristics, needs and consumption profile. For this reason, we have to design a personalised installation for each client.

Another advantage of self-consumption is that it is possible to take advantage of the surplus energy that is produced. For example, if we say that your heating system produces 1,000 watts and when you are not at home you only have the fridge and something else connected, which in total consume 200 watts, then there is a difference of 800 watts that are injected into the grid. The company’s meter calculates your surplus, which is then compensated for in the consumption you make at night. When you receive your electricity bill, you will be able to see what you have consumed directly from the company and also what you have fed into the grid, which will help you to reduce your bill. This possibility, which came into operation with the entry into force of RD 244/2019, is also promoting this type of self-consumption installation.

-In terms of pollution, what are the advantages of opting for solar energy?

-The reduction of CO2 emissions can be achieved by each of us in two ways. On the one hand, if we contract our energy from a 100% renewable energy company we will reduce significant amounts of CO2 emissions, every contract that is passed to renewable energies is a consumer who does not buy energy from nuclear, gas or coal plants. Another option is to opt for a self-consumption installation of solar energy for our home or business.

You can keep reading the interview here.