{"id":7963,"date":"2026-07-13T06:43:54","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T06:43:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.finulent.com\/insights\/?p=7963"},"modified":"2026-07-13T06:43:55","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T06:43:55","slug":"maximising-self-consumption-on-a-171-kwp-rooftop-solar-pv-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.finulent.com\/insights\/case-studies\/maximising-self-consumption-on-a-171-kwp-rooftop-solar-pv-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Maximising Self-Consumption on a 171 kWp Rooftop Solar PV System"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
System Capacity<\/strong><\/td>Annual Generation<\/strong><\/td>Performance Ratio<\/strong><\/td>CO\u2082 Savings<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
171 kWp<\/td>167,521 kWh<\/td>87.92%<\/td>78.7 t\/yr<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Project Overview<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This case study covers our design of a 171 kWp rooftop solar PV system built to reduce electricity costs, improve energy self-sufficiency, and support the site’s sustainability goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The system spans multiple roof areas across the facility, making the most of available roof space while keeping solar generation in step with the site’s electricity demand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The challenges<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The site was consuming around 199 MWh of electricity a year, almost entirely from the grid. With strong daytime operational loads that line up well with solar production hours, the conditions were right for rooftop solar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But simply generating energy wasn’t enough. The design needed to actively align output with demand, so as much of that energy as possible could be used on-site rather than exported. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The system needed to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Maximise on-site consumption of generated solar energy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Reduce grid electricity imports and associated costs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Improve energy self-sufficiency.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Minimise carbon emissions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Optimise long-term energy savings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Design Approach<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    Highlights<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • Self-consumption-led design, using site energy data to determine the optimal system capacity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Incorporated multiple roof areas with varying orientations to make the most of available space.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Used multi-orientation layout to balance energy production across different times of day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • System capacity sized to match solar generation with daytime operational loads.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      Energy Consumption Analysis<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

      We carried out a detailed review of the site’s electricity consumption profile to understand how solar generation and building demand would interact. Annual consumption stood at approximately 199 MWh, with significant daytime loads that closely match solar production hours. That load profile meant a strong foundation for high self-consumption performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      System results<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

      System Summary<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
      \n
      Parameter<\/strong><\/td>Value<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
      System Capacity<\/td>171 kWp<\/td><\/tr>
      Number of Modules<\/td>342<\/td><\/tr>
      Number of Inverters<\/td>2<\/td><\/tr>
      Total PV Area<\/td>756.3 m\u00b2<\/td><\/tr>
      Annual Site Consumption<\/td>199,470 kWh<\/td><\/tr>
      Annual Energy Generation<\/td>167,521 kWh<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

      Key Engineering Achievements<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • 167 MWh of renewable electricity generated annually.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • 81 MWh of solar energy utilised directly on-site each year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • 48.5% self-consumption ratio. Nearly half of all the generated energy used on-site.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • 87.9% performance ratio, reflecting a well-optimised system design.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • 78.7 tonnes of CO\u2082 emissions avoided per year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • 40.7% solar fraction, reducing the site\u2019s dependence on grid-supplied electricity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
        PV*SOL Performance Results<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

        PV*SOL simulations of the completed design produced the following annual performance projections:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
        \n
        Metric<\/strong><\/td>Value<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
        Annual Energy Generation<\/td>167,521 kWh<\/td><\/tr>
        Specific Yield<\/td>979.44 kWh\/kWp<\/td><\/tr>
        Performance Ratio (PR)<\/td>87.92%<\/td><\/tr>
        Shading Loss<\/td>4.1%<\/td><\/tr>
        CO\u2082 Savings<\/td>78.7 t\/year<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

        Self-Consumption & Energy Utilisation<\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The system was designed specifically to maximise self-consumption and reduce reliance on grid-supplied electricity. Here\u2019s the energy utilisation breakdown below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Metric<\/strong><\/td>Value<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
        Solar Energy Consumed On-Site<\/td>81,252 kWh\/year<\/td><\/tr>
        Energy Exported to Grid<\/td>86,268 kWh\/year<\/td><\/tr>
        Self-Consumption Ratio<\/td>48.5%<\/td><\/tr>
        Solar Fraction<\/td>40.7%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
        \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        The installation was expected to offset over 81 MWh of annual grid electricity consumption directly. That translates to real operational savings and a significant reduction in carbon emissions each year.
        <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The Outcome<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

        This 171 kWp rooftop solar PV system shows what’s possible when detailed energy analysis drives the design. By matching system capacity to the site’s actual demand profile, the project delivered strong self-consumption performance, reduced grid dependency, and a meaningful cut in carbon emissions. All from a roof that was previously doing nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Environmental Impact<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • 167 MWh of renewable electricity generated annually.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • 78.7 tonnes of CO\u2082 emissions reduced per year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Improved site energy independence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Long-term reduction in operational energy costs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          The result here is a reliable, scalable renewable energy solution that works on both financial and sustainability fronts. Less grid reliance, lower bills, and a smaller carbon footprint, every year the system runs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          System Capacity Annual Generation Performance Ratio CO\u2082 Savings 171 kWp 167,521 kWh 87.92% 78.7 t\/yr Project Overview This case study covers our design of a 171 kWp rooftop solar PV system built to reduce electricity costs, improve energy self-sufficiency, and support the site’s sustainability goals.  The system spans multiple roof areas across the facility, making […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":7968,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[128],"tags":[131,129,207,176],"class_list":["post-7963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-case-studies","tag-case-study","tag-finuedge","tag-pvsol","tag-uk-solar"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.finulent.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.finulent.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.finulent.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.finulent.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.finulent.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7963"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.finulent.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7963\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7969,"href":"https:\/\/www.finulent.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7963\/revisions\/7969"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.finulent.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.finulent.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.finulent.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.finulent.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}