Concept
Energy balance at the grid connection point
- ID
concept:energy-balance
- IRI
https://solarlattice.org/kb/concept/energy-balance
- Status
- active
- Also known as
- consumption calculation, load = PV + import - export
- Category
- Monitoring
- Concept kind
- electrical
Energy balance means adding up the power flows at the grid-connection point (PV production, grid feed-in and grid draw) to work out how much energy the site's loads actually consume. When PV is connected on the load side of the meter, consumption is PV production minus feed-in. For example, 50kW produced with 40kW fed in gives 10kW of load. To make this work, a measurement source such as an energy meter must be fitted at the grid-connection point, positioned so that household loads can use PV energy before it reaches the feed-in point. If PV is wired on the grid side of the meter, the calculation adds PV on top of grid draw and overstates consumption. Monitoring then shows production mirroring consumption. Feed-in that appears at night usually means the meter, a CT or a current-measurement lead is installed the wrong way round. Check CT orientation, CT ratio, and that grid power changes when you switch the inverter on and off. Three-phase meters can add up import and export phase by phase, or by the direction of total power for billing. The two methods give different import and export totals for the same period.
<!-- review notes
- sentence 1: support check: partial - Examples compute load from PV and grid power flows, but there is no explicit definition of energy balance as such.
- sentence 5: support check: partial - Orientation causes are listed and checks of CT orientation, ratio and switching inverter are given, but 'usually' and the ratio check being for night feed-in are not directly stated.
- sentence 1: review: partial - The SMA examples work out load consumption from PV production, feed-in and grid draw at the meter, but no passage defines 'energy balance' as that calculation.
-->
Claims
related_to
c1 verified · fact
Energy meter
A measurement source such as an energy meter has to be present at the grid-connection point. Meter placement decides whether the balance comes out right.
verified by: review-workflowverified on: 2026-10-24
c2 drafted · lead
Point of interconnection
The balance uses drawn power, fed-in power and reactive power measured at the point of interconnection.
review note: support check: partial - Passages list drawn, fed-in and reactive power at the grid connection point, but do not describe an 'energy balance' using them.
c5 verified · fact
Energy meter installation position error
verified by: review-workflowverified on: 2026-10-24
c6 verified · fact
Self-consumption optimization
Power control at the grid-connection point tries to use PV energy on site, or store it, before feeding it in, and to supply loads from PV or the battery before drawing from the grid.
- 259463
sec=4.3.1 h=e352f2fb4386
- 259463
sec=h36 h=335e0ec8708d
verified by: review-workflowverified on: 2026-10-24
c7 verified · fact
Export limitation
Limited Export works with a meter at the grid-connection point. Inverter output rises or falls by the amount of self-consumption.
- 278879
sec=5.2.7 h=05e66d8a958b
verified by: review-workflowverified on: 2026-10-24
c8 drafted · lead
Zero export
c9 drafted · lead
Self-consumption rate
- 246498
tbl=41.r1 h=4187ba7a2f23
review note: support check: partial - Self-consumption rate is defined as ratio to total yield, but no link to grid-connection energy balance is stated.
c10 drafted · lead
Self-sufficiency rate
- 246498
tbl=41.r1 h=4187ba7a2f23
review note: support check: partial - Self-sufficiency quota is defined, but no relation to the grid-connection energy balance is stated.; review: partial - The table defines the self-sufficiency quota next to grid feed-in and self-consumption totals, but it never ties the metric to the energy balance at the grid-connection point.
c11 drafted · lead
Consumption metering proposed
- 262631
tbl=15.r2 h=3ba43d08569d
- 262660
tbl=15.r2 h=3ba43d08569d
review note: support check: partial - Passages mention current consumption and an Energy Balance page, but not consumption metering at the grid connection point.
explains
c3 drafted · lead
Generation equals consumption reading proposed
If PV is connected on the grid side of the meter, the meter only ever sees power drawn. The calculated consumption then follows PV production.
c4 drafted · lead
Grid feed-in at night proposed
If the meter, a CT or a current-measurement lead is installed the wrong way round, the sign of grid power flips, so the system shows feed-in at night.
review note: support check: partial - Incorrect orientation of meter, CT or leads is given as possible reasons for night feed-in, but the 'sign flips' mechanism isn't explicitly stated.
Data