Tibber adds free adaptive surplus charging of PV electricity

Anyone using a dynamic electricity tariff from Tibber together with the Pulse real-time consumption meter can now take advantage of a new free function designed to reduce the load on the electricity grids and cut costs. With a PV system on the roof and a wallbox for the electric car on the wall, generated and unused electricity can be pumped into the battery of the battery electric vehicle.

Such functions usually use imprecise weather forecasts, explains Tibber. However, smart charging based on real-time data from the Pulse power tracker can divert surplus solar energy to the e-car in a targeted manner based on real generation and real-time consumption – the company reports measuring every two seconds. This should help to avoid high prices at times when there is little sun. The Tibber app takes over the intelligent control of load management, and the function is said to be free of charge.

New "Solar Smart Charging" switch in the Tibber app

In the Tibber app, there is a new "Solar Smart Charging" button in the "Smart Charging" function that activates the function. If interested parties have a solar system with an integrated wallbox and the Pulse power tracker, "Solar Smart Charging" can be used.

"Based on live data on consumption and current power from the solar system, the electric car is automatically charged when the solar system produces more power than the household's current self-consumption needs", explains Tibber. The e-car can thus be charged automatically independently of the grid, which reduces electricity costs.

TIbber also reports on a study conducted in 2024 by energy management system provider GridX, according to which a third of those with solar systems already charge their e-cars independently of the grid. Solar smart charging is set to improve this even further, as the measurement is more precise and has a higher temporal resolution and the solar energy generated is used more efficiently. The previous smart charging system, which was based on weather forecasts, reduced the price for the provider's customers to 29 cents per kilowatt hour; customers with their electricity storage system even paid 27 cents per kWh. The new function helps the wallet and also improves the grid efficiency of the installed PV systems.

The provider Tibber recently prepared its systems for the planned quarter-hourly cycle on the electricity exchanges. This measure should also lead to better load distribution in the grid. However, existing Tibber customers must be careful with the messages they receive: last November, the company suffered a data leak in which information from 50,000 customers was leaked to the network – such as their e-mail address or geographical location. Such information can be misused by criminals for customized phishing.

(dmk)