Virtual Batteries

Virtual batteries

We guide you to the best solution

If you have a photovoltaic installation in your home, you should know that the best way to get the most out of it and obtain the highest yield is by installing a solar panel system with a battery.

Although this is the best option to achieve greater energy independence and be more self-sufficient, it is true that acquiring a system with a battery requires a significant investment.

For this reason, one of the trends in recent months has been to opt for virtual batteries, a new mechanism for storing surpluses offered by marketers.

What are virtual batteries?

The virtual battery is a service offered by some electricity companies that allows the surpluses produced by the photovoltaic system to be stored in a virtual “bag” or “purse” and used when needed. To be more precise, it is not a physical system, but a method of registering and accounting for the energy generated and not consumed (surpluses) that will be compensated by the supplier we have contracted.

How does a virtual battery work?

The specific details of how the virtual PV self-consumption battery works depends exclusively on each electricity supplier. In general, however, this is how virtual batteries work.

1. Energy generated for the home: When the photovoltaic system we have at home generates energy, this is destined to cover the consumption needs required by the home at this specific moment.

2. Surpluses fed into the electricity grid: If the electricity generated by our panels is greater than what our home is consuming, surpluses are generated. These surpluses are injected into the electricity grid.

3. Financial compensation: When the surpluses are injected into the electricity grid, the amount equivalent to the energy dumped is stored virtually in a kind of “coin purse” or “virtual piggy bank” and the marketer compensates the owner financially for the surpluses injected.

4. Bill discount: The balance accumulated in the “coin purse” or “virtual piggy bank” has a direct impact on the electricity bills of the PV system owner. The discount may vary depending on the energy compensation policy of the supplier.