Solar batteries will store electricity generated by your solar panels until you are ready to use it, but there is a lot to consider to make sure you choose the right option for your home.
What is a Solar Battery?
A solar battery, often referred to as a home battery, is a means of storing electricity so that it can be used at a different time. The battery is either charged up during the day by solar photovoltaic (PV) panels or can also be charged up during off peak electricity times when the electricity is cheaper.
The generation is either stored as Direct Current (DC) before it gets to the inverter or as Alternating Current (AC) after the inverter. If you have a system that pays you incentives for generation then you will have marginal losses if you choose a DC system. However, if you are installing a three phase electric supply and a three phase inverter then a DC battery system could be more beneficial.
Should I Invest in a Solar Battery?
Solar batteries allow you to store electricity when it is generated, or when it is on a cheaper tariff, so that you can then use it at another time. It is important to be aware of the cost of the installation of home battery systems and also the amount of electricity you will actually use to know what the real return on investment is.
How Much Energy Can I Store in a Solar Battery?
Solar battery systems for the home come in many different capacities.
The capacity is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh). 1kWh is a 1000 Watts used for 1 hour. So, in theory, a 1kWh battery would run 20 LED bulbs for around 9 hours, or a typical modern fridge for around 6 hours continuous running.
Many battery systems have a fixed storage capacity starting at around 2kWh to 14kWh but there are also systems that allow you to add capacity by building extra battery modules on to the system to increase the energy storage.
What is the Best Battery for Solar Storage?
The best home battery for solar storage will depend greatly on what you want to do with the energy.
Perhaps your car is the best storage battery as the energy goes direct to the car battery from the solar array and you will not need to redeploy it elsewhere.
It is almost more important to look at the energy management capabilities of the home battery system and make sure that that it matches your requirements.
Are Solar Batteries Worth the Investment?
As the cost of solar home batteries comes down and the amount of generation we use increases so will the return on investment increase. It is worth checking how much export generation you have from your PV panels and then work out how much of that you could actually use if you had a home battery system.
Optimising a Solar Battery System
The best way to optimise the use of a home battery system is to use the energy stored to run electrical appliances rather than turn it into hot water. Also make sure that you do not run too many appliances at once as the demand will be higher than the maximum discharge rate.
By staggering the start up times of different appliances you can then aim to use 1 kWh for four hours which is better than 4kWh in hour hour because the home battery cannot usually discharge 4kWh.
How Long Will a Solar Battery Last?
The life expectancy of a home battery depends very much on how it is used. The storage capacity drops annually and it is expected that the battery will last somewhere between five and 15 years.
Installing a Home Solar Battery
A home battery system must be installed by a suitably qualified and experienced installer.
Different battery systems behave in different ways and they need to be wired and commissioned to best optimise their use and prolong their life expectancy.
Is Storing Solar Energy on Site More Cost Effective Now the FiT Payments Have Gone?
Whether you got paid for the generation from your PV panels or not, it was always the intension to try and use as much of the generation as you could.
Storing solar energy on site will only become more cost effective when the cost of the home batteries comes down in price and the amount of energy you use increases. Now that FiT payments have gone, it makes no difference to the cost effectiveness of storing energy.
Are Solar Batteries a Good Solution for Off-grid Homes?
Home battery systems are the primary solution for off grid homes. The battery systems are, however, set up differently as there is no electricity grid backup. There is more emphasis on appliance and demand management.
Will Solar Batteries Become More Popular as Electric Cars Become More Prevalent?
Definitely. Home batteries will become cheaper as we see an increase in the use of electric cars.
Some car manufacturers, such as Nissan, have collaborated with battery suppliers to use the car batteries after they are no longer good enough for the cars.
The largest home battery systems are around 14kWh but cars start at around 28kWh and can be up to 100kWh plus.
When the capacity drops the batteries are then used to make home battery systems and this ‘second life’ battery will be significantly more cost effective when the turnover in cars increases.
Hi Jaymin, I see you are currently working with Tesla battery storagey systems, any chance you'd like to check different options?
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