For those who have a busy lifestyle or with high energy costs, installing a battery for your solar panel system provides a great way to save.
Most solar systems are first sold without a solar battery, however it’s a missed opportunity for all as the storage the solar battery provides is perfect for night time usage. Installing a battery system assists your solar system in becoming more energy independent and efficient.
But before you dive into a solar battery installation, it’s important to understand what the steps are.
Thankfully, our solar experts at Solar System Australia are happy to give you pointers on what to consider.
What Do Solar Batteries Do?
Solar batteries store away the excess power that your solar panels make before the electricity goes to the grid. Allowing you to use excess power at night, in overcast days or periods of high energy demand as mentioned previously.
Homes or businesses with solar panels will draw on power from the solar system first and then draw from the grid. However, for households with solar systems that also include battery storage, power will first be drawn from your panels, then the battery, before in the last case pulling it from the grid.
Solar Battery Types
There are four main types of batteries that are used in the solar industry today, these are:
Lead Acid – A quite commonly used battery. They are quite bulky and take up a lot of space but are dependable, however the major downfall of these products is that they last only between 2-8 years, and it is recommended to only use them at 60% of their capacity.
Lithium-ion – These batteries are the same type found in phones, laptops and electricity powered cars. They have a longer lifespan than lead acid batteries and have a better capacity for electricity storage with an 80% depth of discharge.
Flow – Flow batteries are one of the newest developments in solar battery storage. They have an impressive 100% depth of discharge. However, their life span is not as enviable as lithium-ion batteries. They are also more expensive and might not become so widely used until costs come down.
Sodium Nickel Chloride – Solar batteries run by sodium nickel chloride boast a wide range of temperatures that they can operate in. Giving customers resilient performance through hot and cold climates. However, there are disadvantages, sodium nickel chloride batteries have a shorter life cycle than lithium batteries and at a higher cost.
Installing a battery now or later?
Choosing whether to install a solar battery now, later, or not at all, is an important decision you need to make when you are planning a new solar panel installation.
Adding a battery to your solar system will increase the cost upfront. With the increased capacity for your energy independence, it’s also an investment that many have decided is worth it.
If you are hesitant to have a solar battery installed but don’t want to cross out the possibility, you can make the way easier in the future by asking your solar installer to take this into account when designing your custom solar system plan.
Retrofitting a Battery to an Existing Solar System
Fitting a solar battery to your solar panels can be a simple installation, but only in the case that your solar system was designed with an inverter compatible for a solar battery.
If this isn’t the case, a solar battery installation will be more complicated but not impossible. There are two options that you can choose to take: either to replace your solar inverter or install an AC coupled system. An AC coupled solution adds another solar inverter to the system with an alternating current; it takes less cost in the installation upfront but is likely to offer less efficiency over time.
The Solar Batteries We Use
At Solar System Australia, we provide some of the best lithium-ion batteries on the market that money can buy.
We supply and install Alpha ESS Smile 5 Batteries with patented German technology. Renowned for their capacity, long life, and smart innovations in energy management –
- Suitable for Indoors or Outdoors
- High Energy Density
- Quick Installation
- Self-Sufficient Modular Battery
- Alpha Cloud Smart Energy Management
- 10 Years Warranty
Solar batteries are easy to use once installed. You don’t have to do anything differently to use electricity in your home, and they require no maintenance to keep going.
Take Advantage of a Free Consultation to Learn More
Want more information about installing a solar battery with a new solar system or retrofitting a battery into an existing one? Contact our specialists today to get the best advice.
We offer FREE solar assessments and consultations to give you valuable solutions when it comes to clean solar energy.