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bei HSCT

Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Eigennutzungsanteil

English translation:

share of own consumption

Added to glossary by Magdalena Kowalska
May 29, 2017 08:45
6 yrs ago
2 viewers *
German term

Eigennutzungsanteil

German to English Tech/Engineering Energy / Power Generation Solar panels
Es geht um eine Solaranlage im privaten Haushalt; der durch die Solaranlage selbst erzeugte Strom wird direkt vor Ort genutzt und nicht ins öffentliche Stromnetz eingespeist.

Es gibt bestimmt einen Ausdruck dafür im Englischen, der vielleicht sogar kurz und elegant ist, ich komme aber nicht darauf.

Der ganze Satz lautet: Ein zusätzlicher bauseitiger Batteriespeicher erhöht den Eigennutzungsanteil und macht Sie unabhängiger vom Stromzukauf.
Proposed translations (English)
3 +3 share of own consumption
4 +1 self-consumption ratio
4 +1 availability of electricity you generate
4 See my suggestion
4 Self-generated electricity
3 percentage of own use
3 customer load
3 the PV system's yield available for household consumption

Discussion

Lancashireman Jun 1, 2017:
Asker probably switched off her e-mail notifications around midday on 29th May. No reason for us to stop debating good grammar, proper technical terminology and natural sentence structure.
Herbmione Granger Jun 1, 2017:
@Bjoern Agreed, the Asker has plenty to work with and is probably well beyond this project.
Herbmione Granger Jun 1, 2017:
@Lan Yeah, I don't have air conditioning, though (how to really save money). I'm sure you make great soup :) Also probably play guitar better than my self.
Björn Vrooman Jun 1, 2017:
What's done is done. I won't object if anyone uses the word, as there are (legitimate) sources to back it up, IMO. But it will depend on context and here, it may just sound as out of place as some of the other suggestions (see source document). One should just be aware that the term is limited in application.

I wish you all a good night
Lancashireman Jun 1, 2017:
Sorry, HC Didn't realise that you self-have solar panels.
Herbmione Granger Jun 1, 2017:
Right, I am not against good-sounding sentences. I just think that Eigennutzungsanteil is a real term that shouldn't be dissolved in the advertising soup. It is the portion of the power that my solar panels generate that is actually used by me (on-site). The rest travels through the grid and is stored or used elsewhere. Terms were created to express this.
Lancashireman Jun 1, 2017:
Self-consumption: Discussion has come full circle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouroboros
Björn Vrooman Jun 1, 2017:
There's another issue, though. Just google the sentence...you'll find the source document. After reading the context that was missing, I think Lancashireman's version would've worked.

It's about the PV roof installation powering heat pumps. You might as well drop this part of the sentence entirely.
Herbmione Granger Jun 1, 2017:
'Of own consumption' grates on the nerves. Should be 'of one's own consumption', which is a wordier version of 'self-consumption'.
Björn Vrooman Jun 1, 2017:
"of own consumption" - endorsed by such prolific writers as
...
Ralf Ossenbrink.
http://www.bpva.org.uk/members/bpva/news/sma-and-daimler-sub...
Herbmione Granger May 29, 2017:
@Lancaster I see what you mean. However, the writer chose to use the clunky term "Eigennutzungsanteil" instead of "Eigennutzung" or the many word combinations that could have been used.
Lancashireman May 29, 2017:
You can't just report it... This appears to be a brochure selling batteries to householders who either already own solar panels or who are considering investment in such a product. As Phil says, you have to match the language to the reader.
Herbmione Granger May 29, 2017:
nerds are people too The "Eigennutzungsanteil" is a real quantity. You can't just report it as Eigennutzungsanteil: viel.
Journalists might be considered people, too: https://www.pv-magazine.com/2017/03/28/french-energy-regulat... ; https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/scene-set-for-a...
Finally, again homeowners: https://www.homepower.com/articles/solar-electricity/design-...
Jacek Kloskowski May 29, 2017:
@Lancashireman, :) according to this Cambridge Dictionary entry, it should be "your own goal", as using an "an" before "own" is considered a mistake :) :)
Lancashireman May 29, 2017:
Jack I think you may have scored an own goal with this contribution.
Jacek Kloskowski May 29, 2017:
OK, just to add to the fire :) - part #2 Own: very own

We can emphasise own by using very:

When I was eight, we moved to a bigger house and I got my very own room and didn’t have to share with my sister any more.

Own: on my own

On my own, on your own, on our own, etc. mean ‘alone’ or ‘without help from another person’. They are less formal than alone. We can emphasise them by using all:

She lives on her own in a tiny flat. (alone)

Nobody helped him build his boat. He did it all on his own. (without help from anyone)

Typical error

We don’t use articles (a/an, the) before own:

As soon as teenagers reach the age of seventeen, they want their own car. They don’t want to depend on mum and dad any more.

Not: … they want the own car. or … they want an own car.

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/c...
Jacek Kloskowski May 29, 2017:
OK, just to add to the fire :) Own
from English Grammar Today
Own is a determiner and a pronoun.

Own emphasises that a thing belongs to a particular person, or was done by them. We always use a possessive form before own.


Own as a determiner

We can use own as a determiner after a possessive determiner (e.g. my, her, our) or after a possessive noun phrase with ’s:

I never sleep well in hotels. I always sleep best in my own bed at home.

That garden wall is all Jason’s own work. He spent several weekends building it.

Own as a pronoun

We can use own as a pronoun after a possessive determiner (e.g. my, his, their). We often use it in the pattern noun + of + possessive determiner + own:

This is my wife’s laptop. My own is being repaired.

Did you have a flat of your own when you were a student, or did you share?
(...)
Lancashireman May 29, 2017:
customer-facing language Definition here:
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/custom...
Björn Vrooman May 29, 2017:
PS And this has absolutely nothing to do with "academic." You can argue from a customer's point of view, that's fine by me; but people in the industry will definitely understand what the term means. I've never said I liked it; but I cannot say it's wrong because it isn't.
Björn Vrooman May 29, 2017:
@Lancashireman This was merely one of several links from British pages (businesses etc.) further down and they all talk about "self-consumption." The BPVA link was to show that it's not going to be edited before publication, but here's a Guardian one, just for you, from the British-based Solar Trade Association:
"However we are confident that solar can still provide an attractive investment in certain circumstances and that the market will recalibrate by selling solar as a package with other smart cutting edge technology to increase self-consumption of the solar electricity.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/08/solar-in...

And yes, the guy quoted is British.

Here's an award category:
"Stirling Council – Solar PV & Self-Consumption"
http://awards.cosla.gov.uk/our-bronze-awards-winners/

Here's Ofgem with at least one Brit involved:
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/94789/seaws6meet...

Ofgem + British-based consultancy:
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2017/05/cepa_tnei...
Lancashireman May 29, 2017:
...und macht Sie unabhängiger... The presence of the second person pronoun indicates that this text is to be read by the householder. It is not an academic treatise written by Germans and self-translated (ha ha) into English. It should be phrased appropriately in terms that a lay person can understand and be persuaded by.
Herbmione Granger May 29, 2017:
@L We both posted several US and UK references throughout the discussion. The term likely came from a German or economics term. My point is that it's been around AND being currently used. Again from Apr 2017 issue of real US magazine that still prints: https://www.homepower.com/articles/solar-electricity/design-...
Lancashireman May 29, 2017:
Your link http://www.sma.de/en/partners/knowledgebase/the-self-consump...
The clue is in the de domain. Same with Björn's prize link http://www.bpva.org.uk/members/bpva/news/24-mw-self-consumpt... where the clue is in the name of the author, Ralf Ossenbrink. Perhaps someone can find a bona fide English-authored text in which this term is used without any sense of self-irony?
Herbmione Granger May 29, 2017:
furthermore The term "self-consumption" has been used in this context since at least 2010: http://www.sma.de/en/partners/knowledgebase/the-self-consump... . "Conclusion: Self-consumption is becoming increasingly important... The fact is that self-consumption has become an important criterion for planning and designing solar power systems in Germany and has a significant effect on their return on investment."
Herbmione Granger May 29, 2017:
Back from Lunch @Lancashireman I think the "self" is needed, since it is a selfish thing to grab as much of the the solar energy from your panels before it goes into the community/company grid for general consumption ;)
@JackMark I agree that the separate terms "self consumption" and "self-consumption ratio" should be used for book-keeping, but "self-consumption" with a suspiciously unnecessary hyphen is being currently applied to mean the percentage used, probably a shortening of "self-consumption ratio" or similar terms.
@Everyone I don't like Google search because of their skewing of results to show you what you want to see. The Kudoz discussion on "Eigennutzung" was from over a year ago, and leading terminology might have changed in this growing field. Two USA references from 2017 refer to "self-consumption" ("self-supply" in Hawaii), neither of which sounds funny in context: https://www.homepower.com/articles/solar-electricity/design-... ; https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/energy-and-resources/a...
Lancashireman May 29, 2017:
How are you planning to fit self-consumption ratio ...into your sentence while retaining a marketing style that will appeal to an EN reader?
The addition of a battery can increase the availability of electricity you generate and make you less dependent on your supplier.
Karolin Schmidt May 29, 2017:
That is good Magdalena : ) Please remember to give him the points.
Magdalena Kowalska (asker) May 29, 2017:
"Self-consumption ratio" was apparently what I was looking for. It may not be the most elegant construction ever, but if that's what is being used, so be it.
Karolin Schmidt May 29, 2017:
very nice approach.
Lancashireman May 29, 2017:
"kurz und elegant" Is this text intended to win over householders with attractive prose (elegant) or to be a word-for-word translation of the German (kurz)? I don't think you're going to sell many Batteriespeicher without turning that concise German noun (Eigennutzungsanteil) into an English verb construction.
Björn Vrooman May 29, 2017:
@Karolin and Jack
You can't search for the term like this. First, you'd have to limit your search to UK or US pages. Second, the Ghit number is not accurate (had a long post about this once). Third, your search will include every instance of a possessive pronoun as well because you did not specifically exclude that.

As said below, except for shorthand/title descriptions, this isn't the right way to go about it.

@Lancashireman
I think you can thank ol' Cameron for that: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/damian-carrington-bl...

In certain industries, I just have a feeling they adopted "European" terms because the corresponding market in the UK may not be that big.
Lancashireman May 29, 2017:
Here it is again http://www.proz.com/kudoz/german_to_english/energy_power_gen...
The outcome on this occasion: on-site use/consumption
Jacek Kloskowski May 29, 2017:
OK, I am out. Have fun :)
Karolin Schmidt May 29, 2017:
https://www.google.de/?gws_rd=ssl#q="own consumption"+"solar...

I dont want to check all the 29,000 hits.
Lancashireman May 29, 2017:
self-consumed electricity? How far can we take this. Self-consuming customers?
Jacek Kloskowski May 29, 2017:
Karolin, dictionaries are known to have errors....:) :) just kidding, like i said, both "own" or "self" would work, but then things complicate when we try to stick "share" or "ratio in it as here, in this phrase:

""share of own (electricity) consumption"

is a bit confusing, as it may be understood as "part of the self-consumed electricity."

Then, to solve it, we would need to use the word "generated" as in "share of generated electricity" to clarify it...and then becomes even longer...
Björn Vrooman May 29, 2017:
@Lancashireman
http://www.networkrevolution.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/0...
https://www.recc.org.uk/pdf/guidance-on-battery-storage.pdf
http://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/blogs/2016_solars_year_of_...
https://www.immersun.co.uk/self-consumption-energy-habits.ht...
https://www.silverstonegreenenergy.co.uk/services/self-consu...
http://www.waxmanenergy.co.uk/blog/tag/solar-pv-self-consump...
http://southwalessolarpanels.co.uk/battery-storage/solar-ene...

All genuine UK links; "on-site use" is the alternative. Don't shoot the messenger. I'm not making the rules or making this up. But it's good to note that this question had already been discussed.

@Jack
Everything's fine and we don't disagree. I said: "typically you need a preceding possessive." Your example includes "their" - which is one. "own consumption" doesn't work well.

I gave up on bilingual dictionaries a long time ago.
Karolin Schmidt May 29, 2017:
Just found my heavy Langenscheidt Technology and Applied Sciences says "own consumption" - Eigenstromverbrauch.

Dietl/Lorenz and Eichborn: own consumption - Eigenverbrauch

Jacek Kloskowski May 29, 2017:
OK, it is not as if we (I slightly disagree with Björn's here) that we cannot use "share of energy generation for their own use" for example...and I can find many links with this or similar term.

Let's not beat the dead horse, let the asker decide - and I am waiting for Bjorn answer - should he choose to enter his suggestion here, then I'll delete my entry here. Like I said, I didn't see his first entry in the discussion below...
Lancashireman May 29, 2017:
on-site use/consumption It's been asked before, and answered without resorting to outlandish use of the reflexive prefix:
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/german_to_english/energy_power_gen...
Jacek Kloskowski May 29, 2017:
Bizarre or not, I'd like to point out that "self-consumption" is often used in economics as well...I guess I missed the part who suggested it in this thread first, I admit I didn't read the whole discussion before posting...I see, so should I delete my entry so that Bjorn may enter his?
Björn Vrooman May 29, 2017:
@herbalchemist "I'm not taking credit for 'self-consumption' since it was based on looking at everyone else's answers"

Well, you shouldn't - I entered my disc. post around the same time as Karolin posted her answer (just teasing). As said, I am entirely comfortable with your suggestion.

@Lancashireman
Yes, it does sound bizarre. But this is actually the term used in the industry, even by our neighbors across the Channel:
http://www.bpva.org.uk/members/bpva/news/24-mw-self-consumpt...

I've done a lot of work in this field; first time I heard that term I had the same reaction...
Jacek Kloskowski May 29, 2017:
Just to clarify, if there is a talk about a formula or percentage, I'd use the word "ratio" and hence I have specifically included it (-anteil) . Otherwise, should the the text discuss certain part of energy generation that is consumed by the producer themselves, even if expressed in units like KWH, I'd drop it.
Lancashireman May 29, 2017:
Self-consumption? Really? I've heard of self-deprecation, self-denial and even self-immolation, but the notion of consuming oneself is bizarre, even repulsive.
Herbmione Granger May 29, 2017:
Everyone got the right idea... I'm not taking credit for "self-consumption" since it was based on looking at everyone else's answers, but before JackMark's, which "hit the nail on the head" but maybe isn't very common in either technical or commercial contexts. For example, "share of self-consumption" is used here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196890414... Slide 19 shows "self-consumption of PV": http://www.pv-financing.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2.Oppo... I'm leaning towards "PV self-consumption" as a good compromise: http://de.krannich-solar.com/en/self-consumption.html.
Björn Vrooman May 29, 2017:
@Karolin Wasn't meant mean or anything. I work in a related field and I can tell you that there are a lot of really, really bad translations out there, so I'd be very wary of translated pages from a business based in the German-speaking region (yes, that includes you, Austria!).

I think herbalchemist has a point. You don't really need anything to it. I am not very fond of ratio either. Typically, this is what you call a ratio: 12:1.

Even Australians don't need a second word: http://www.solarwiseww.com.au/solar-power/hybrid-solar/store...

The remaining links are from a Danish-based business or from France, etc.
Karolin Schmidt May 29, 2017:
you are right Björn : -(
Jacek Kloskowski May 29, 2017:
@Karolin Schmidt Ah yes, thank you. Will do.
Karolin Schmidt May 29, 2017:
Jack, there is a typo. Do again?
Björn Vrooman May 29, 2017:
PS What you said is also true for "ratio," though. I am not very enamored with all these non-ENS references that are part of the answers (except for Mack's).
Björn Vrooman May 29, 2017:
@herbalchemist In the second link, they say "level"; in the third, "proportion." No, you don't need it, but you may use "share"/"proportion" instead of repeating the word or when combined with a percentage.

The main point is that I'd stay away from "own"; there are very few instances in English (e.g., own label) where "own" is on its own (pardon the pun), but typically you need a preceding possessive. We've had an EN-EN discussion about that, but I can't find it right now. It will just be a dead giveaway that the page has been translated.
Herbmione Granger May 29, 2017:
@Bjoern I agree with "self-consumption," but I don't think that the usage of "share" is necessary or elegant. More references: http://www.solarblogger.net/2015/10/self-consumption-of-sola... ; http://reneweconomy.com.au/solars-inconvenient-truth-its-all... ; https://www.homepower.com/articles/solar-electricity/design-...
Björn Vrooman May 29, 2017:
PS Not "own" please; and yes, I'm all but sure about the term.
Björn Vrooman May 29, 2017:
@Magdalena This is called "(share of) self-consumption":
http://solarsouthwest.co.uk/energy-storage-systems/
http://www.cleanenergynews.co.uk/blogs/solar/boosting-local-...
https://www.hafodrenewables.co.uk/battery-storage/

Proposed translations

+3
1 hr
Selected

share of own consumption

The tariff is determined by the installation's size and the share of own consumption. If the installation operator consumes less than 30% of the solar electricity (...)
Reference:

http://https://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0ahUKEwjRydfo65TUAhUB_iwKHckUDiUQFggwMAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.feed

http://www.ed-energy.de/en/portfolio/photovoltaic/own-consumption-of-solar-power/

Peer comment(s):
agree Lancashireman
2 hrs
Ich danke sehr : -)
agree Michael Martin, MA : Most elegant solution
17 hrs
Thank you.
agree Sangeeta Joshi : I agree. Perhaps it would be preciser to say "share of electricity generated for own consumption". I don't agree with self-consumption, though.
1 day 1 hr
Thank you.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
10 mins

percentage of own use

might be an adequate term
Something went wrong...
1 hr

customer load

Maybe this is a possible anser:
The amount of power your site uses. Load may be expressed in kilowatts (capacity) or kilowatt-hours (energy). A site's peak kilowatts generally refers to when electric demand requirements are highest.
Second source:
Load: The electric power used by devices connected to an electrical generating system. The amount of electric power required to meet customers' use in a given time period. The amount of electric power delivered or required at any specific point or points on a system. The requirement originates at the energy-consuming equipment of the consumers.
Reference:

http://www.sunlightelectric.com/glossary.php

https://www.constellation.com/energy-101/energy-choice/common-energy-terms.html

Something went wrong...
+1
2 hrs

self-consumption ratio

Should you opt for the smaller system?

Your first instinct might – and our first recommendation – would be to stick with the smaller system – both because it would cost less and because it has a marginally better return than the larger one. But what would happen if you could ratchet up your solar self-consumption to use even more of the solar energy directly? Let’s assume that you manage to get your solar self-consumption ratio up to 80%.

https://www.solarchoice.net.au/blog/solar-self-consumption-o...

SELF-CONSUMPTION RATIO

SC ratio = PV production locally consumed / total PV production

http://www.pv-financing.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2.Oppo...

2.1. Definition of self consumption and self-consumption ratio

In the context of this study, self consumption is defined as electricity that is generated and then consumed at the same location. The self-consumption ratios indicated for each segment are percentages of the self-generated solar electricity. The distribution center, for example, has an electricity requirement of 1,024 MWh per year, and its solar installation replaces about 13.1% of the purchased electricity („self-sufficiency ratio“). It achieves a self-consumption ratio of 99.6%, which means very little electricity is fed to the grid.

http://www.recgroup.com/sites/default/files/documents/study_...

Policy should promote targeted areas with the best correlation between onsite consumption and PV production peak like
supermarkets. In addition, local PV production should be consumed locally to increase the self-consumption ratio on a
local level. The PV self-consumed model may provide a good solution for congested regions or areas with grid problems.

https://www.iaee.org/en/publications/proceedingsabstractpdf....

Peer comment(s):
agree Herbmione Granger : Also known as "PV self-consumption" or "self-consumption." Synonym "Eigenverbrauchsanteil". http://www.sma.de/en/partners/knowledgebase/commercial-self-...
2 hrs
Thank you.
neutral philgoddard : This would be correct in other contexts, but you need to use plain English here.
5 hrs
Thank you for your opinion. We agree to disagree here :)
Something went wrong...
+1
5 hrs

availability of electricity you generate

Ein zusätzlicher bauseitiger Batteriespeicher erhöht den Eigennutzungsanteil und macht Sie unabhängiger vom Stromzukauf. (120 characters with spaces)

The addition of a battery can increase the availability of electricity you generate and make you less dependent on your supplier. (125 characters with spaces)

Just putting this out there to illustrate how an EN marketing text differs from a DE one. There is no way that a potential customer would understand or appreciate 'self-consumption ratio' in this context. I challenge those arguing in favour to produce a sensible phrasing of the whole sentence.
(See extensive background in Discussion Box)


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2017-05-29 14:23:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

And here are the two previous KudoZ entries again, long since buried in the mega Discussion Box thread:
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/german_to_english/energy_power_gen...
on-site use/consumption
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/german_to_english/energy_power_gen...
on-site use/consumption
Peer comment(s):
neutral philgoddard : I strongly agree that technical terminology is inappropriate here, but I'm not sure "availability" is very clear.//Sorry, I clicked on Agree by mistake.
2 hrs
Ortholingua agrees with us in principle. He also thinks 'available' is suitable in context. See suggestion No 7 below.
agree Karolin Schmidt : how about: increases the share of electricity you generate for your own use.
2 hrs
Thanks. Amount or percentage. I suggested 'availability' because it is electricity that would otherwise have gone to waste or been fed into the grid.
Something went wrong...
7 hrs

See my suggestion

Lets you use more of the electricity you generate/your own electricity.
Something went wrong...
1 day 2 hrs

the PV system's yield available for household consumption

So much has been said. Some translations are correct, however I am thinking of who will be reading the finished translation; Do you want to be right or do you want (your reader) to be happy? If the text is geared towards the consumer,
I would circumlocute in an attempt to leave out engineering terms which might be difficult for the average reader:

The addition of a battery storage system increases the PV system's yield available for household consumption while reducing dependency on the electricity grid.



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day11 hrs (2017-05-30 20:31:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Alternative:
The addition of a battery storage system increases the amount of energy harvested from your PV system which can be used in your household, thereby reducing the amount you must purchase from your utility provider..
Something went wrong...
1 day 18 hrs

Self-generated electricity

This website seems to be referred to by other solar panel retailers. It uses the techos vocabulary and as such is most credible.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day19 hrs (2017-05-31 04:07:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In the context of German text it is: "the percentage of self-generated electricity"
Example sentence:

Self-generated electricity can be consumed on site with any remaining power fed into the public grid.

Reference:

http://www.solarworld.sg/en/solar-power/solar-glossary/solar-glossary/

Something went wrong...
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