What are the differences between the MCS and Easy PV self-consumption calculation?
This applies to easy-pv.co.uk. The information provided here may not be accurate for easy-pv.ie.
There are a few differences between the Easy PV and MCS self-consumption calculations:
- System size
- MCS: can be used for projects with consumption between 1500-6000kWh, generation below 6000kWh and usable batter capacity below 15.1kWh.
- Easy PV: can be used for any system size and consumption level.
- Consumption profiles
- MCS: choice between domestic consumption profiles: home all day, home half the day and out all day.
- Easy PV: additional choices between commercial consumption profiles. You also have the option of uploading half-hourly meter data to ensure the consumption profile is entirely accurate to the customer's usage.
- Method
- MCS: calculates the annual generation and the self-consumption is determined based on lookup tables.
- Easy PV: uses the same total generation figure but then uses PVGIS data to model how this is distributed across the year. Easy PV then calculates steps minute by minute over the course of the year, looking at how much is being generated, how much is being consumed and how charged the battery is and diverting the energy accordingly, factoring in the charge rate of the battery.
- Additional options
- Since Easy PV calculates how the generated electricity is used minute-by-minute rather than annually, it means export limits, variable tariffs and forced charging/discharging of batteries can be factored into the model.