EnergyMeterHub Tool Details
Excess Solar Priority Calculator
Use this excess solar priority calculator when your home is already exporting meaningful solar and you want to decide what should absorb that surplus first. It is built to stop every solar decision turning automatically into 'buy a battery first'.
Planning
First-party
Rank EV charging, hot water, battery storage, and pool pump use as destinations for excess solar.
What this tool is for
Who this tool is for
Homes that already export solar and want to decide what should absorb that surplus first instead of assuming battery is always the answer.
What this tool now does better
It no longer reads only like a one-winner ranking. It works better as a staged trial plan because it also considers EV absorption potential, hot-water absorption strength, and whether the home can actually automate or repeat the daytime load shift.
How to use the output
Treat the result as a staged action plan. Start with the best first sink, test it, then move to the second option only if the first one is not enough.
Why this tool is worth using
- Helps rank the most useful destination for excess solar instead of assuming battery always comes first.
- Now works better as a staged strategy because it also considers how much different loads can realistically absorb and whether the home can automate that plan.
- Highlights when cheaper daytime loads may solve the problem before an expensive storage purchase.
How to use it well
Use real load timing, not wishful timing
The answer is much better when you are realistic about whether the EV is actually home, whether hot water is truly shiftable, and whether daytime comfort loads really exist already.
Automation readiness matters
A staged solar-use plan is much easier to trust when the home can automate it. If everything depends on manual habits, the ranking may still be directionally right but harder to turn into repeatable savings.
Examples
Example
If the EV is only sometimes home, hot water is easy to shift, and the house already has simple timer-based automation, hot water can still be the best first test before battery or EV charging gets pushed higher.
What this tool does not replace
What this tool does not replace
It does not replace a full home energy management model. Use it to decide what to test first, then confirm the real load timing, comfort impact, and hardware cost before spending money.
How to continue
Open the tool when you know the question you are trying to answer
Use the interactive version once you know what inputs matter and what kind of answer you are expecting from it.
Use the result as guidance, not a final purchase promise
These pages are designed to make the tool easier to use correctly, but you should still validate important hardware, tariff, and compatibility decisions before buying.