Electricity tariff, Potencia, and feed-in: What PV owners in Mallorca should know

Why the Electricity Bill is the Starting Point of any PV Planning

When thinking about photovoltaics on Mallorca, many owners first think of roof space, modules, and battery storage. However, for the actual savings, the electricity bill is at least as important. It shows when and how much electricity the property consumes, what fixed costs are incurred, and whether the current tariff fits the planned PV system at all.

This is exactly why the electricity bill should not just be checked after installation. Sunglow takes a close look at consumption, potencia, tariff structure, feed-in, surplus compensation, and possible models such as a virtual battery early on – before we make a system size, storage solution, or tariff recommendation.

What Potencia Means, Simply Explained

Potencia is the contractually agreed electrical connection capacity. Simply put: it describes how much electrical power may be drawn from the grid at the same time. It is not the same as annual electricity consumption, but it does influence a portion of the running costs.

For owners on Mallorca, potencia is important because many properties can have high peak loads – for example, from air conditioning, pool pumps, heat pumps, kitchens, saunas, or electric cars. If the potencia is set too high, unnecessary fixed costs can arise. If it is too low, daily use may be restricted.

• annual consumption and daily pattern

• simultaneous consumers such as air conditioning, pool, or e-car

• contractual potencia and fixed costs

• energy price for grid electricity

• rules for feed-in and surplus

A PV system can improve these points, but it does not automatically replace a proper tariff and potencia check.

Why a Tariff Can Still Be Too Expensive Despite PV

Even with a solar system, an electricity tariff can be too expensive. This happens, for example, if the grid electricity price remains high, the basic costs are unfavorable, the potencia does not match consumption, or the feed-in is not correctly activated or is poorly compensated.

In the case of holiday properties, villas, and fincas, there is an additional factor: consumption is often seasonal. In summer, pool equipment and air conditioning often run during the day exactly when the PV system is producing. In other months, consumption is lower. A good tariff should fit this pattern, not just look cheap on paper.

Feed-In, Surplus Compensation, and Virtual Battery

When a PV system produces more electricity than the property consumes at that moment, a surplus is generated. Depending on the contract and technical registration, this surplus can be fed into the grid and accounted for in different ways.

Three terms are important in this context:

• Feed-in: surplus solar power is delivered to the grid

• Surplus compensation: the fed-in electricity is financially credited according to the contract

• Virtual battery: a tariff model in which calculated credits for surpluses can be used later

• Self-consumption: solar power is used directly in the house and does not need to be purchased from the grid

• Billing: the electricity bill should be checked after activation

Why Sunglow Checks These Topics Before Making a Recommendation

A PV system is only cleanly planned from an economic perspective when technology and tariff match. A larger system is not automatically better if a large surplus is fed in under unfavorable conditions. A storage system is not automatically sensible if the tariff, self-consumption, and surplus model can already be optimized in other ways.

Therefore, before making a recommendation, Sunglow checks how the property uses electricity, what potencia is agreed, which tariff components cause costs, whether feed-in is possible and can be activated, and whether models like surplus compensation or virtual battery make sense in the specific case.

Conclusion: Simple CTA, Detailed Explanation in the Blog

On the homepage, a simple next step is enough: have your electricity bill checked. The details belong in the blog, as electricity tariffs, potencia, feed-in, surplus compensation, and virtual batteries are important topics that need explanation. Anyone who understands them before planning a PV system will make better decisions – and get a system that fits the property, the consumption, and the billing.