Just like many others, we started thinking about solar energy when electricity prices soared and our bills became more unpredictable than the weather. But investing in solar panels wasn’t just about saving money — it was about understanding our own energy consumption, gaining more control, and future-proofing our home.
This blog marks the first chapter in our journey toward a more self-sufficient and sustainable home.
It all began with a simple thought: “Should we install solar panels?” — but quickly turned into a deep dive into technology, costs, the power grid, battery storage, and long-term planning.
Here, we share our considerations, the challenges we faced, the decisions we made along the way, and what we’ve learned — both practically and insightfully.
But the journey doesn’t end with the installation. To truly get the most out of our system, we actively work to fine-tune and automate it — something we do with the help of Home Assistant.
By controlling consumption and storage more intelligently, we can maximize self-consumption and adapt to hourly pricing and solar production in real time.
This is where technology really makes a difference.
The Spark That Started It All
Our house has good potential for solar production, with a roof facing east–west. That means we get sun exposure in both the morning and evening — which actually matches our consumption pattern quite well, as much of our electricity use happens before and after working hours.
Even before planning the installation, we had started monitoring our electricity usage via Tibber, which gave us insights into our habits and helped us understand how solar energy could fit our household.
It didn’t take long before we realized just how much energy our daily life consumed — especially during winter. We wanted to reduce our dependence on volatile electricity prices and become more self-sufficient.
Solar energy gave us that opportunity.
But for us, panels alone weren’t enough. We wanted to actually use the electricity we produced — not just send it back to the grid and buy it back at full price. That’s where batteries came into play.
With energy storage, we could:
- Use solar energy at night
- Charge the battery when electricity is cheap
- Reduce power peaks and the need for grid electricity
Who Does What in the Swedish Energy System?
Different companies take on different roles in supplying electricity to your home.
On one hand, there are companies responsible for the physical connection — such as E.ON or Vattenfall. These are usually local monopolies, regulated by the government. In our case, it’s E.ON.
Then there are electricity suppliers, and here you have a choice. These companies compete and offer everything from fixed-price contracts to flexible monthly or hourly rates.
But what do they actually do? And how do they impact our solar setup?
E.ON – The Grid Owner (DSO)
E.ON owns the local electricity grid where we live (Northern Stockholm). They’re responsible for:
- Maintaining lines and infrastructure
- Ensuring electricity reaches our house
- Measuring both consumption and any surplus production
Even if we change electricity suppliers, E.ON’s fees remain — since they own the grid.
We pay both a fixed monthly fee and a variable transmission fee per kilowatt hour.
Tibber – The Smart Energy Supplier
Tibber is our electricity provider. They are digital and transparent:
- We pay the hourly spot price – i.e., the actual cost of electricity hour by hour
- Their app shows our consumption in real time
- They can control smart devices like EV chargers and thermostats to optimize usage
We appreciate that Tibber doesn’t just send a bill — they give us tools and insights to use electricity smarter.
💡 Why Self-Consumption Is Key
When installing solar panels, it’s easy to focus on how much money you can make by selling electricity to the grid.
But the real savings come from the electricity you don’t have to buy.
A big realization for us was this: even if we sell excess electricity during the day, we often buy back electricity in the evening at full price — including all E.ON fees.
📊 Our Actual E.ON Costs (Northern Stockholm, 20A subscription)
| Cost Item | Excl. VAT (öre/kWh) | Incl. VAT (öre/kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission Fee | 18.00 | 22.50 |
| Energy Tax | 43.90 | 54.88 |
| Total Variable Cost | ~77.38 öre/kWh | |
| Fixed Monthly Fee (20A fuse) | 480.00 SEK | 600.00 SEK |
And this is before we even pay for the electricity itself from Tibber.
So every kilowatt-hour we draw from the grid costs us about 77 öre — just in fees and tax.
💡 Every kWh we use from our solar panels or battery saves us those costs. That’s where the real profit is.
🌱 From Curiosity to Solar Power
We didn’t jump into this overnight. We spent weeks:
- Watching YouTube videos
- Talking to neighbors and installers
- Testing energy calculators
- Logging our own electricity usage
And slowly but surely, the pieces started to fall into place. When we saw that:
- Our roof had the right conditions
- Our consumption matched solar production well
- There were long-term savings and energy security…
…that’s when we took the plunge.
🔧 What’s Next?
This is just the beginning. In upcoming blog posts, we’ll share more about:
- Our choice of inverter and battery (we chose Sigenergy)
- Installation day
- How we use Home Assistant to monitor and automate
- Monthly reports on production, consumption, and finances
If you’re thinking about solar panels, batteries, or just want to better understand your electricity usage — feel free to join us on the journey.
We’ve also collected a resource section with links, tools, and products we’ve used and found helpful along the way.
👉 Do you have your own experiences, tips, or questions about solar energy, battery storage, or how to reduce electricity costs?
Leave a comment below — we love sharing ideas and learning from each other!
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