Solar batteries are electric storage systems that work in concert with your home’s solar panel system. They store excess solar energy generated by your panels and provide backup electricity during a power outage.
Disaster-resistant power storage options like these batteries offer an effective alternative to gas generators and can keep your home secure during a crisis. Furthermore, they reduce carbon footprint and energy costs.
1. Reliable Power from Solar Batteries
Solar-plus-storage systems, combined with a backup power source, enable homeowners to become more energy independent and increase their disaster resilience. This is especially crucial during pandemics or other major natural disasters when power outages may be more severe and last longer than usual.
Solar batteries can help ensure the lights stay on during a power outage by storing excess solar energy from your panel system for use when the grid goes down. They’re also an excellent option for storing electricity for night or cloudy days when sunlight isn’t enough to charge your panels.
When selecting a battery, consider some key metrics such as capacity, DoD (depth of discharge), and round-trip efficiency. Additionally, assess the battery’s lifespan and warranty coverage.
2. Reduced Carbon Footprint with Solar Batteries
Solar panels and other clean energy technologies are a major step toward reducing carbon emissions by replacing coal-powered generation. However, even with solar panels still producing some emissions during their generation process.
Battery storage is an integral component of a solar-plus-storage system, as it reduces the need for fossil fuels and enhances grid reliability during peak demand times. Unfortunately, the embodied emissions from batteries remain significant.
Our analysis indicates that the combination of tariff structures, wider rate spreads aligned with marginal carbon emissions, and reduced costs and embodied GHG emissions will make solar-plus-storage systems more competitive compared to solar alone. This will be especially important in the future when battery storage costs are expected to decline.
3. Reduced Energy Costs
Solar panels generate power day and night, even when the sun isn’t shining. But unless you use this energy, it goes back into the grid and costs you money in the form of electricity bills.
Batteries are an ideal way to maximize the efficiency of your solar panels and lower your energy bill by storing excess power. Adding batteries is especially helpful for solar customers with time-of-use electricity plans or in regions with high electricity rates during peak demand periods.
Homeowners who install batteries along with their solar system can take advantage of a tax credit for doing so, provided they meet certain requirements. The federal tax credit, known as the Residential Clean Energy Credit, offers 30% discount on the total cost of solar battery installation.
4. Fast Recovery Time
Solar batteries can help restore power to communities affected by natural disasters quickly and conveniently, offering a fast and temporary source of energy. They’re easy to transport and set up on-the-spot for convenience.
Batteries are divided into two primary categories – lead-acid and lithium-ion. The latter can withstand extreme temperatures better, providing a longer battery lifespan.
Another important factor to consider is the battery’s charge rate. This is a function of capacity and expressed as fractions like C/4.
Generally, the faster your solar battery can be recharged, the longer it will last and you won’t have to worry as much about it.
When selecting a solar battery, it is essential to choose one that will not degrade in extreme temperature conditions. Heat can cause chemicals within the battery to react more rapidly, decreasing its efficiency and shortening its lifespan.