Samara Virtual Cashback alternative
You finally did it – solar panels on the roof, Spanish sun in abundance and… a “virtual” cashback balance that never reaches your bank account. If you are on Samara’s Virtual Cashback plan you already know the feeling: your excess energy shows up only as future bill credits. Welcome to the club of slightly-frustrated productive rooftops.
Meet Solmio, the fix that turns every photon into real euros in under 30 seconds. No tricks. Just cash.
Solar matters more than ever: Spain generated a record 44 520 GWh of PV electricity in 2024, grabbing 17% of national production – the first time solar topped the generation podium. Meanwhile average wholesale power settled at 63 €/MWh in 2024 – still pricey enough to make every exported kilowatt worth chasing. So why settle for store credit?
Quick-fire comparison
| Key difference | Samara Virtual Cashback | Solmio |
|---|---|---|
| Real payout or credit? | Bill credit | Instant € transfer |
| Who funds your install? | You | Solmio co-invests 50 % |
| Where is energy sold? | Spain only | Pan-European markets |
| Controller included? | No | Plug-and-play IoT box |
| Average price for surplus | 0.05–0.09 €/kWh | 0.06–0.12 €/kWh* |
*Price depends on best spot market of the day (OMIE, EPEX, JAO, etc.). Spain’s day-ahead volatility regularly swings above 100 €/MWh on peak days.
5 reasons to dump virtual cashback and switch to Solmio
1. Cashback without real cash is a bad punch-line
Samara’s “cashback” is a future discount – useful only if you keep buying grid power. Solmio wires money. Each surplus kWh is tokenised and paid out to your IBAN or crypto wallet in under half a minute. No fine print, just income you can spend on sangría – or your mortgage.
2. Solmio puts skin in the game
Hardware isn’t cheap. Under Samara you pay 100% of panels and optional battery. Solmio co-invests up to 50%, cutting payback time to roughly four-five years instead of eight-ten. That leaves you free cash for life upgrades rather than loan repayments.
3. A bigger market means bigger margins
Spain’s rooftop market added 1.18 GW in 2024 alone, but local over-generation at midday pushes prices down. Solmio aggregates thousands of micro-grids and trades where prices peak – Germany, France, the Nordics – via European market couplings and long-term PPAs. More buyers, better yield.
4. Hardware that actually does something
Solmio ships a CE-certified controller – think smart meter on steroids – that tracks, optimises and arbitrages in real time. It updates over-the-air, speaks Modbus, MQTT and OCPP, and won’t sulk when you add storage. Your inverter will smile. Your accountant will too.
5. Impact you can prove
Green talk is cheap. Solmio issues verified CO₂-savings certificates per installation, handy for eco-mortgages or ESG reporting. Spain targets 81% renewables by 2030 and has cleared 28 GW of new clean-energy projects (reuters.com). Being able to quantify your slice of that transformation matters.
Full comparison: Samara vs Solmio
| Feature / Benefit | Samara | Solmio |
|---|---|---|
| Payment type | Credit on next bill | Bank / wallet transfer |
| Settlement speed | Monthly | ≤ 30 s |
| Upfront financing | None | 50 % co-investment |
| Surplus price range | 0.05–0.09 €/kWh | 0.06–0.12 €/kWh |
| Own controller | No | Yes (plug-and-play) |
| OTA updates | No | Yes |
| Cross-border trading | No | Yes (ES, FR, DE, etc.) |
| CO₂ reporting | No | Certified kg CO₂ avoided |
| Battery integration | Limited | Native BMS link |
| API access | Partial | API-first |
| Typical ROI | 8–10 yrs | 4–5 yrs |
Real rooftop stories
Isa & Jorge – Valencia, 5 kWp
"Samara’s cashback looked cute… until we realised it was just a discount. We switched to Solmio and now see 30–40 € cash every month – even when we’re away. Our roof now pays more than our Airbnb spare room."
Eco-hostel “El Faro” – Cádiz, 10 kWp + battery
"We needed a serious way to monetise peak-sun hours. Solmio installed the controller, co-funded the battery expansion and within three months we had weekly payouts. Plus we feel part of a pan-EU solar club making a real dent in emissions."
Turn your roof into a revenue engine
Pre-order Solmio now and start earning real money from sunlight. Clean energy is great – clean energy that writes you cheques is better.
Frequently asked questions
Is Solmio a genuine Samara alternative?
Yes. It converts surplus into euros, not store credit, and co-invests in your hardware while selling power across Europe for best price.
I already have panels – what do I need to switch?
Just install the Solmio controller. No inverter swaps or lifetime contracts. A certified electrician will clip it in under an hour.
What if I already own a battery?
Great. Solmio talks to most popular BMS protocols (CAN, RS-485, Sunspec). It optimises charge-discharge to maximise both self-consumption and export revenue.
I’m often away – is that a problem?
Not at all. When consumption is low, 100% of your production is sold. Your idle roof becomes a 24/7 side hustle.
What happens if prices crash?
Spanish spot prices have fallen 40% since January 2025 but Solmio arbitrages multiple markets and hedges, smoothing your income curve.
How big is the self-consumption market anyway?
Over 542 000 residential systems were installed in Spain in 2023, and rooftops added another 1.18 GW in 2024. That’s a lot of un-monetised sunshine.
In short…
Your roof already prints power. Solmio makes it print money. Ditch virtual points, grab real euros and join a European solar network that pays – no drama, no delays, no dusty credits.