Solar Power Battery Storage Buying Guide

Choosing solar power battery storage can be an overwhelming process, especially if you have no idea what makes solar battery storage an excellent choice. Having battery storage has several perks, such as having unused electricity you can use on days with little to no sunlight. There are various selections, including the Tesla powerwall however, how do you choose a battery storage system? Read on to find out.

What Is A Solar Battery Storage?

Solar panels generate electricity from the sun. Solar battery storage allows you to store the solar energy for later use at night or on days when there is little sunlight. Installing a solar battery system is an excellent way of maximising your independence from relying on electricity from the grid. However, you will need a decent solar inverter, at least 20kWh battery storage, and a large solar array to go off the grid.

Overall, a storage battery allows you to have stored energy, so you do not have to worry about your panels not providing you with sufficient electricity when you need it most. Most individuals get a solar battery installation to store energy from their solar panels for later use. According to Renew Economy, in 2020, Australian households led with over 31,000 battery energy storage systems around the country.

How Do Home Battery Energy Storage Systems Work?

Solar batteries usually capture the electricity generated during the day and store it for later use. Most new solar installations nowadays include a storage battery. According to Sunwiz-a solar analytic company – around 9% of solar installations in Australia in 2020 came with a battery. If your solar system does not come with a battery, you can still get a battery and connect it to your existing PV system.

The battery size of solar systems can range from 1kWh to 15kWh, depending on your energy usage needs. It is worth stating that it is more affordable to use electricity per kilowatt-hour from your battery than from the grid. Note that a solar battery installation may affect your feed-in tariff payment depending on where you live. 

How Much Energy Could You Save With A Solar Battery System?

Whether or not solar battery storage is a worthwhile investment is relative, but it allows you to save plenty of energy. Of course, plenty of factors will affect the amount of energy you can save on your storage battery—for instance, the battery size.

Note that the more energy your battery storage system can store, the more likely the price point will be high. So, how much energy you can save will depend on the storage battery system you select.

How To Buy Home Battery Storage

Choosing a battery storage system can be difficult, especially when determining the technical specifications and characteristics to factor. However, it does not have to be so. Here is how to buy home battery storage:

• Power rating: The power rating is the kilowatts of power the battery provides. Fundamentally the rating lets you know how many appliances your battery can power at once. This means you need to select a battery with a high power rating if you need most appliances powered at once.
• Safety: Solar batteries must meet specific safety requirements to be certified for installations. 
• Chemistry: Chemistry refers to the key compound used to store electricity inside a specific battery. For instance, a battery could be a lead-acid battery, lithium-ion battery, or vanadium flow battery. All these batteries will have different chemistries as well as price points.
• Roundtrip efficiency: This refers to a system-level metric that measures how efficient your battery inverter converts and stores electricity. The roundtrip efficiency lets you know the number of electricity units you will receive from your battery for each electricity unit you put in the battery.
• Battery size: Your battery size or storage capacity refers to how much electricity the battery can store. Often, the battery size is expressed in kilowatt-hours. The storage capacity indicates how long the battery can power your home. Look at the battery’s usable capacity as it represents the electricity you can get from the battery.
• Battery lifetime: A battery’s lifetime is measured based on expected cycles, expected throughput, and expected years of operation. The cycle measures the times you can charge and discharge the battery, while the throughput compares the amount of electricity you will move through your battery in its lifetime.

Final Thoughts

Having a solar power battery can help you save money while allowing you to store energy for days when there is no sunlight. However, whether or not a solar battery system is a worthwhile investment is relative. For instance, a solar power battery might not make sense for a smaller household, especially as the payback period may be longer. On the other hand, a solar power battery can be a game-changer for businesses and is pretty convenient and environmentally friendly.

Switch To Solar Energy!

Would you like to reduce your carbon footprint and use clean, renewable energy? Let us help you switch to solar energy. With over 10 years experience in solar power installations, Macedon Ranges Solar Power is proud to be your local solar experts. We would be more than happy to come around and assess your home or commercial building for a quote that is tailored to your needs.

Please give us a call today on 1300 693 113 or make an enquiry.