If your oven starts preheating before dawn, how much of your electricity use can solar panels cover? The answer depends on what continues running after sunrise, how much of your production coincides with those loads, and whether there is enough surplus to store. Ask for the assessment to follow your bakery’s actual schedule, from preheating through closing time.
Separate preheating, baking batches, and shop operations
Note when the electric oven is switched on, when you bake the first batches, and whether you have a second production run later in the day. Also record the operating hours of the mixers, refrigeration, ventilation, and air conditioning. If the oven uses another fuel, keep fuel consumption separate from the equipment’s electricity consumption.
If your electricity supply has supported remote meter readings, check which data you can retrieve from the Metering Data Portal. Compare a typical working day, a day with increased production, and a day with reduced hours or a closure. Note the hours when the refrigerators run even when the oven is off. HEDNO Metering Data Portal.
Check how much generation coincides with demand
Ask for estimated generation and consumption to be compared over the same time intervals. The oven may have high demand during preheating, while midday consumption may come mainly from refrigeration and the shop. kW shows the power you need at a given moment. kWh shows how much energy was used over a period. For a short peak, ask for readings with sufficient time resolution.
Illustrative comparison of two hours
Suppose that from 04:00 to 05:00 the bakery consumes 15 kWh, with zero generation and no battery. The 15 kWh come from the grid. From 12:00 to 13:00, assume a steady demand of 4 kW and steady generation of 9 kW for the entire hour. You then use 4 kWh directly from the solar panels, with 5 kWh left over. This example uses hypothetical readings. In practice, generation and demand vary within the hour too. SMA documentation on energy balance.
Assess a battery based on what will be left over
To use some of the midday surplus during the next preheating cycle, the battery must have charged in time and have enough usable energy and discharge power. In the example, the 5 kWh surplus from one hour is not enough on its own to cover the 15 kWh used during the morning hour, even before accounting for losses. Ask to see how the result changes after cloudy weather, a day when the bakery is closed, or a change to the batch schedule.
Compare the same solar installation with and without a battery. For each option, ask for estimates of direct self-consumption, grid imports, and surplus, using the same generation and usage assumptions. For the financial estimate, use the terms of your own electricity supply contract and any surplus compensation arrangement. Preparing a battery assessment for businesses.
What to have ready for the assessment
- One year of bills and detailed readings, where available.
- The schedules for preheating, baking batches, shop hours, and refrigeration, including holidays or seasonal changes.
- Any planned changes to the oven, refrigerators, or production schedule.
At Solar Home, we use the property’s consumption and operating data to assess solar installations. Send us your schedule and available readings so we can explore which options are right for your bakery. Contact Solar Home.
