Self-Consumption
Self-consumption is the share of your solar production that you use directly in your home rather than exporting to the grid. Under NEM 3.0, every kWh you self-consume is worth significantly more than every kWh you export — because you avoid paying the retail rate (around $0.42/kWh in PG&E territory) instead of getting paid the much lower export rate (around $0.05–$0.08/kWh).
Also known as: Self-usesolar self-consumptionon-site consumption
Why it matters in Santa Cruz County
Self-consumption is the economic engine for solar + battery under NEM 3.0. A home with solar-only often uses only part of what it generates, because the panels peak at midday and many households use most of their power in the morning and evening. A battery can store more of that daytime overproduction, depending on its size and the household's usage, and discharge it at night or during peak hours instead of exporting it at low rates.
Sunrise's take
When we quote solar + battery, the self-consumption math is what makes the payback work in California in 2026. We model solar-only against solar-plus-battery for your actual usage at the free inspection, so you can see the difference between high-export, low-value and low-export, high-value configurations.
Met this term in a quote or inspection report?
A free whole-home inspection turns jargon into a written assessment of your actual house — you keep the report either way.