What is shared self-consumption and how can your community of residents benefit from it?

Shared self-consumption modes

The Law establishes three types of shared consumption modes:

• Shared self-consumption without surplus: these installations are usually equipped with a zero-injection system that prevents surpluses from being produced and injected into the grid.
• Shared self-consumption with surplus not eligible for compensation: the surplus generated can be sold on the electricity market with this option. The residents' association must be registered as an energy producer in the Administrative Register of Electricity Production Installations (RAIPRE) or have a representation agreement in the market with its distributor. These options are complex and are usually discarded by domestic consumers.
• Shared self-consumption with surplus under a simplified compensation system: you will see such compensation in the form of discounts in your electricity bill.

Sharing energy between communities of residents

Self-consumption is an opportunity for communities of residents, especially from the point of view of savings, as described above. Communities of residents can start with a basic installation, in which the energy generated provides the power supply required in different areas, such as lighting of common areas (main hall, corridors, parking) or elevators. Another more advanced model would involve supplying the energy generated by the photovoltaic installation to residents' homes. Finally, some communities of residents may choose a flexible model, in which residents can choose when they wish to select the self-consumption mode. It is possible to apply constant production sharing coefficients throughout the year or variable hourly sharing coefficients for each hour of the year.

The Law establishes that at least 75% of the community's residents must agree to implement the self-consumption system. In addition, the community of residents must establish the terms and conditions (generated energy distribution criteria, installation mode and type, final quote, etc.) in an agreement that must be signed by participating neighbours.

How can you start saving with the shared self-consumption option?

One of the main advantages of a self-consumption installation is the associated savings, as mentioned above. From the point of view of a community of residents, savings can be achieved as follows:

• Less dependence on energy prices: by producing your own energy, you depend less on the changes in market prices and economic cycles.
• Low infrastructure and commissioning costs: solar installations can now be optimised in terms of efficiency and cost. The larger the installation, the lower the unit cost per kW of installed power. In addition, the cost is divided by the consumers of each residents’ association, so it is lower.
• Available surfaces: communities of residents usually have large areas in which these installations can be built, especially rooftop areas that are usually underused.
• Recovery of the cost of installation in the short and medium-term: the investment involved in the installation begins to pay for itself immediately when generating energy in two ways: savings in grid energy consumption, which is now self-consumed by the installation, and the monetisation of the surpluses, either through compensation in the electricity bill (when it is subject to simplified compensation) or by selling it on the electricity market (shared self-consumption with surpluses not subject to compensation).

Endesa will provide you with the advice you need, regardless of whether you already have your own self-consumption solar panel installation or you do not have one but are interested in installing one.