Let an energy management system run your appliances when the sun shines
An energy management system reads your meter's user port and switches the heat-pump boiler, car charging or other appliances on when your solar panels produce, which raises self-use and keeps your capacity peak low.
Flanders · Subject to change
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An energy management system (EMS) is a small device or app that connects to the user port of your digital meter. It decides when appliances run and when energy is stored, for example in a heat-pump boiler, an electric car or a home battery, so that more of your solar power is used at home.
That helps in two ways. You buy less power from the grid, and you avoid peaks, which matters because part of your network costs depends on your highest quarter-hour peak each month. With a dynamic electricity contract, an EMS can also shift use to cheaper hours.
You don't always need a separate system. Many heat pumps and electric boilers have smart control or a "smart-grid ready" function that your installer can switch on; a timer that heats the boiler water at midday also helps when you have solar panels. Watch out for a boiler's backup heating element, which can push your peak up sharply. No official source gives typical savings, so compare the cost of a system with what you could realistically shift.
Details
| Impact | Not rated · The cited sources don't give a size for this saving, so we don't guess. How we rate impact |
|---|---|
| Estimated saving | Not quantified by the sources; the gain depends on your solar panels, appliances and tariff. (confidence: low) |
| Who acts | You (owner) |
| Needs landlord's agreement | No |
| Type | Action |
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Sources
- Elektriciteitsgebruik slim sturen met een energiemanagementsysteem (EMS) (in Dutch) · Vlaamse overheid (vlaanderen.be) (official source) · checked on
- Tips om je verbruik te spreiden met een digitale meter (in Dutch) · Vlaamse Nutsregulator (official source) · checked on
- Capaciteitstarief (in Dutch) · Vlaamse Nutsregulator (official source) · checked on