Should I switch off my solar panels when power prices are negative?
Only if feeding back costs you money in that hour. With a dynamic contract and without net metering, that is the case when the price is negative. Then use the electricity yourself if you can; it is better not to feed back what is left over.
On sunny afternoons with little demand there is sometimes more electricity than needed, and the market price turns negative. With a dynamic contract you then pay for the electricity you feed back, instead of receiving something for it.
With net metering or a fixed contract
As long as net metering applies, you offset what you feed back against what you take from the grid at the full rate; switching off then costs you money. With a fixed contract it depends on the feed-in tariff and the feed-in costs in your terms.
How to do it
Many inverters can limit feeding back or switch off on a signal, sometimes via the supplier's app. Using it yourself first (charging the car, the water heater or the battery) is better than switching off. The calculator counts feeding back in hours with a negative feed-in price as switched off.
Calculate what your solar panels earn
An estimate, not personal advice. How the calculator works: How does this calculator work?
Other questions
- Does a home battery pay off?
- What changes when net metering ends?
- Do solar panels still pay off without net metering?
- Fixed or dynamic contract: which is cheaper?
- What is a dynamic energy contract?
- Is a dynamic contract smart with solar panels?
- How do I compare dynamic energy contracts?
- What are the risks of a dynamic contract?
- Does a dynamic contract pay off with an electric car?
- What are feed-in costs?
- What will the end of net metering cost me?
- Should I cancel my fixed contract before net metering ends?
- Does a home battery make sense without solar panels?
- Does it pay to charge the electric car on solar power?
- Does a heat pump suit a dynamic contract?
- How do I read my annual electricity statement?
- What is a feed-in tariff?
- How much of my solar power do I use myself?
- Battery, charger, heat pump or another contract: what first?
- How big should my home battery be?
- Does a home battery make sense with a fixed contract?
- Plug-in battery or fixed home battery?
- How much energy does a home battery lose?
- Is electricity cheap at night with a dynamic contract?
- What does a home battery do in winter?
- How much electricity do I use at night?
- Does a home battery suit a heat pump?
- Which energy comparison site can I trust?
- How do I calculate the payback time of a home battery?
- What do time-dependent network tariffs mean for me?