3 ways to build strong relations with PV owners

(This piece was originally published in NET2GRID's blog by Mirka Karra, NET2GRID's Brand Journalist)

PV owners, a key growing segment, have already embarked on the journey of decarbonization. Simultaneously, the market for residential solar has seen a massive increase in demand. As energy prices rise, the business case for self-consumption has never been stronger. As consumers are now primarily concerned with the rate of self-consumption, solar companies are broadening their approach by taking a more significant consultative role and offering energy services to their solar customers.

Below are three ways solar companies can achieve that while paving the way to increased revenue streams.

Increase customer engagement by whole home energy insights

It’s not uncommon for prosumers to already have an app on their mobile phone to check their solar production, which part of it has been injected into the grid, or even receive notifications about malfunctions. In fact, coordinating home solar generation and consumption can genuinely empower prosumers by making them feel like active participants in greening the energy mix and achieving their energy independence. Furthermore, by offering this kind of service, the prosumer never leaves the app with questions as he or she can see, when energy is produced, how it is consumed, and which household activities are participating in the consumption.

Create opportunities for solar energy services offerings

What if you knew that the X amount of energy produced from the solar panel installation of a family does not cover its increased home energy consumption needs? Furthermore, what if you could suggest which size of solar panel installation would best suit them? Data can help you do that. By analyzing the data measurement, collected from both solar production and household consumption, new energy service offerings that can match the needs and criteria of the prosumer, while guaranteeing a return on their investment, could be determined.

Acquire increased customer intelligence for upselling home storage batteries

Given specific households' energy insights history, their energy contract, and tariff information, an analysis can be performed to determine the critical characteristics of a group of households. The result of the analysis translates into increased insights into households' behavior and opportunities for upselling energy equipment like home storage batteries. Battery Energy Storage Systems play an essential role in prosumers' life and will continue doing so in the future. Statistics say that only in 2020, about 140,000 battery systems were installed, reaching a historic GWh landmark and totaling 1,072 MWh of storage capacity in a single year in Europe. In a medium scenario, projections show that the cumulative residential storage capacity installed across Europe will reach 12.8 GWh in 2025!