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self-generation with full injection: the entire production is injected into the grid and consumption is fully taken from the grid;

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self-consumption with injection of surplus: only surplus production is injected into the grid; consumption comes first from production and then from the grid if production is insufficient;

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total self-consumption: production is never injected into the grid — remains at local level. Production is managed — consumed, stored or lost — locally.

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the self-consumption rate — the ratio between self-generated consumption and total production;

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the production rate — the ratio between self-generated consumption and total consumption;

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the coverage rate — the ratio between total production and total consumption.

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on the one hand, adapting consumption by moving from off-peak to peak production periods, for example by setting high-consuming domestic applications such as energy-intensive domestic appliances to run during peak periods, using automated home systems to activate or deactivate them;

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on the other hand, storing part of the non-consumed surplus produced energy for use at a time of lower production. However, this solution is hindered by the current state of technology: storing one kWh of solar energy doubles, or even triples, the cost, not to mention the environmental cost of the dominant lithium-ion battery technology;

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there is another possibility that the EU should promote: making it possible to use electricity produced outside the immediate vicinity of the individual or collective self-generation installation.

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individual self-consumption;

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collective self-consumption;

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extended collective self-consumption;

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renewable energy communities, a concept introduced by Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2), which aim to provide environmental, economic or social benefits to their members or territory. These are legal entities controlled by individuals, SMEs or local authorities that can produce, consume, store, share or sell the renewable energy produced. They have access to the energy market, directly or through an aggregator;

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citizen energy communities defined by Directive (EU) 2019/944, which go beyond the renewable energy community in that they can ‘engage in generation, including from renewable sources, distribution, supply, consumption, aggregation, energy storage, energy efficiency services or charging services for electric vehicles or provide other energy services to […] members or shareholders’.

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the ‘postage stamp’ tariff principle, according to which transmission of energy does not depend on the distance between production and consumption, is disrupted by self-consumption because the short circuit has specific tariffs for collective self-consumption;

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the development of self-consumption may also lead to a loss of revenue for a distributor faced with significant investment needs as the grid is so busy at peak times.