Measure electricity use and collect data
How to prepare useful consumption data for PV, battery, and tariff decisions.
Why measured data matters
The better your consumption profile, the more useful the PV, battery, and tariff simulation becomes. Daily patterns, peaks, seasonal effects, and flexible loads such as EV charging or heat pumps matter most.
A generated profile is enough for first orientation. For quotes and investment decisions, measured data is usually much stronger.
Useful data
Ideally, collect time-based consumption data for several weeks, and preferably for a full year. If you already have PV, production, grid export, grid import, and battery data are useful too.
- Timestamped consumption in kWh, Wh, or power in W
- Hourly or 15-minute values when available
- PV generation, grid export, and grid import for existing systems
- Notes on major loads such as EV chargers or heat pumps
Ways to collect data
Many households can start without buying new hardware. Energy portals, inverter apps, and smart meter portals often provide exports. For deeper analysis, optical meter readers, Home Assistant, or energy monitoring systems can help.
- CSV export from your supplier or metering portal
- Export from inverter, battery, or smart meter apps
- Home Assistant energy dashboard or meter integrations
- Optical reader on a digital electricity meter
- Manual monthly or daily readings for rough orientation only
Before you analyze
Check timestamps, timezone, units, and missing values. A small unit mistake, for example Wh instead of kWh, can strongly distort economics and battery sizing.
If you are unsure, start with a Voltary upload. The data check helps identify typical structure issues early.