Is It Worth Getting A Solar Battery

Home Solar Panels Dont Work In A Blackout

One of the things that surprises some solar homeowners is that your solar panels will stop producing electricity during a blackout, even if the sun is shining.

This is because grid-connected solar homes generate alternating current that must be synchronized to the public electric grid – 60 hertz in the case of North America. If a blackout happens, thereâs no power signal to synchronize with, and the inverters shut down automatically. This is also done to protect utility workers who might be working on downed power lines. It could be lethal if solar panels continued to send electricity into power lines that workers expect to be depowered.

When the inverters shut down, solar panels stop working because thereâs nowhere to send the electricity – unless you have a battery system.

Is It Worth Getting A Solar Battery

In fact, the vast majority of the value delivered comes from the solar PV portion of the system, not the batteries. Whether simply breaking even within the warranty term is worth it is a subjective question, but the growing uptake of home battery storage systems indicates that for many people it is.

How can I make my solar battery last longer?

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Whos The Ideal Candidate For A Hybrid Solar System

In a nutshell? People who want batteries for non-economic reasons.

Let me explain. Battery storage prices are not yet at the level where it makes economic sense for the average Australian to add energy storage systems to their home. You are looking at a 15 odd year payback on batteries with an expected lifespan of 10 years. Ouch.

To get a better idea of what payback might be in your situation, try our new solar and battery calculator its super-easy and quick to use.

But not everyone cares about payback when buying solar batteries. Some people are prepared to spend the money to get their grid imports as low as possible, stick it to the electricity companies and bugger the payback. If that is you good on ya. By buying batteries now as an early adopter you are supporting the battery storage industry in these early days.

For the rest of us, we can expect energy storage to reduce in cost quickly over the next few years. Battery prices are dropping drastically as more and more companies enter the marketplace and the underlying technology becomes cheaper to manufacture. I expect in 5 years time that batteries will be as prevalent as solar panels.

In the meantime you can prepare for energy storage by buying a battery ready solar system and reading solar battery reviews.

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What Are Home Energy Management Systems

As electricity demand increases in the UK, we need to be able to manage our energy as efficiently as possible. That’s where Home Energy Management Systems can help us do this.

How will HEMS work with solar energy and battery storage?

Homes that utilise a renewable energy system such as solar PV will potentially generate more electricity than they need at times of high supply and low demand. Having your battery storage and HEMS set up means you’ll be able to really understand how your home uses electricity and be able to control your energy as efficiently as possible.

You can produce your own renewable energy, store it and then use the energy as efficiently as possible.

What You Need To Know About Adding Battery Storage Such As The Tesla Powerwall To Your Home’s Solar Panel System

Home battery storage is a hot topic for energy-conscious consumers. If you have solar panels on your roof, there’s an obvious benefit to storing any unused electricity in a battery to use at night or on low-sunlight days. But how do these batteries work and what do you need to know before installing one?

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Two Ways That You Can Make Savings

When you use the solar power that you generate directly from your panels, you save around 30c per kWh, or whatever the rate you pay for electricity. If your solar energy gets fed back into the grid, you will receive a feed-in-tariff a credit for your excess power. Feed-in tariffs vary by state and retailer, but are typically around 10c per kWh.

Is It Worth Installing Solar Batteries

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.

reduces your reliance on the grid by storing solar-generated electricity. In case of a power outage, the Powerwall kicks in, seamlessly powering your appliances for up to several days.

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What To Do About About Starting Current

If you want to be able to operate a large appliance like a pool pump or central air conditioner but your battery doesnât have the output capacity to satisfy the starting current, donât despair.

A device called a soft starter moderates the brief surge of electricity when a motor starts up. By spreading out the electric surge over a longer time, a soft starter can make it possible to operate an appliance that otherwise couldnât be powered by a battery. Talk to your solar installer or electrician about getting one of these installed.

Itâs worth nothing that the Enphase Ensemble battery has a soft starter built into it, eliminating the need to install a separate device.

What Is The Future For Solar Batteries

Technology moves forward all the time and solar batteries are no exception. Stand-alone solar charger units are becoming more popular, so you can recharge your phone or tablet without drawing from the National Grid. These can sometimes be found in business, retail or hospitality locations. Undoubtedly, solar power will become more and more popular as we all need to switch to renewable energy sources.

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It Only Makes Sense To Backup Your Critical Loads In Most Cases

For most American homes, it will only be prudent to install enough solar batteries to power the essentials. Because of the price associated with solar storage systems, installing enough batteries to meet 100% of your typical energy needs would simply cost too much.

Instead, youll want to work out whats known as your critical loads — the essential items that will keep running in the event of a power outage via energy from your batteries. These often include things like your refrigerator, freezer, small heaters, a few lights, medical equipment, and maybe a few outlets to charge devices.

Your solar installer should be able to help you determine what are the absolute necessities, and then design a battery system that is capable of meeting your requirements.

Solar Batteries: Dependable Emergency Power

Are solar panel batteries worth it? In terms of providing dependable backup power to keep you and your family safe and comfortable during uncertain times, yes. From a strictly financial standpoint, not necessarily.

Thanks to net metering, most Americans can upload their extra electricity to the utility grid and draw on it for future use for free. However, when the grid goes down, so will their solar system unless there is a battery backup system. With solar batteries, grid-tied system owners can experience a small bit of energy independence without having to sink thousands of dollars into an off-grid storage solution. It’s the best of both worlds!

Solar Panels And Solar Batteries Make A Great Pair

Installing a solar battery storage system can be a great way to get the most value out of your solar panels.

Batteries are an excellent source of backup power, they increase your energy independence, and in some cases can even save you more money on your electric bill because youll be drawing power from the battery instead of the grid.

However, solar battery systems do come at a price. If youre looking to save money on your electricity bill, installing a solar battery might not be right for you, especially if your utility offers net metering. However, if you live in an area that experiences widespread blackouts, like the ones in California and Texas, or somewhere with Time-of-Use utility rates, having a battery backup to store energy for when you need it will be beneficial.

The upside is that the price of solar battery technology continues to fall, so much so that someday in the near future, solar batteries will come standard with all solar energy systems.

If youre looking to pair your solar panels with storage, make sure you contact multiple reputable battery storage installers to ensure that you get the highest quality installation at the best possible price.

See what local installers are charging for solar + battery storage installations

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What About Battery Net Metering

A new concept is beginning to be considered as an update to net metering policies – it is called battery net metering or NEM paired storage, and was recently signed into law in California.

Similar to how net metering works now, where utilities can purchase excess energy from customers’ solar systems, utilities could also purchase unused energy that is stored in a solar battery. This concept is slowly becoming popular in other states, as well – because home battery storage has been increasing throughout the U.S.

What makes this law especially appealing in California is that the states three major utilities are moving to Time-of-Use rates, meaning electricity will be more expensive during peak hours.

As detailed above, having your own backup battery can help you avoid paying for electricity during peak hours. With battery net metering, you also have the opportunity to sell any excess energy you dont use – so long as the energy generated is 100% from solar.

How Much Do Solar Batteries Actually Cost

The question of how much do batteries cost? is difficult to answer as there are a lot of variables at play when installing a battery and these can all impact the cost.

As a rule of thumb, residential solar battery storage prices are currently around $1,000 per kWh including installation and GST. Variables to consider include the size and brand of battery, the solar installers used to complete the works and whether additional works are required to make the battery compatible with your system .

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User Types Identified For Solar Battery Storage

To make the results relevant for your situation we recommend looking at the below 2 scenarios and pick the one that is the closest fit. We have considered 3 common user types and matched their electrical usage patterns with data we have in our model. If there is nothing you believe to be relevant to your situation, you can read our methodology and put your own parameters into the Solar Choice Solar & Battery Calculator Advanced Version.

When It’s Not Just About The Economics

The world is changing. International agreements, global business attitudes and the publics awareness are all pushing us towards a low-carbon economy. Knowing the impact our consumption habits have on the planet and the security of future generations, limiting your reliance on the grid is a huge step towards reducing your personal carbon footprint.

In other cases, its a matter of future-proofing yourself. Being more independent from the grid gives you, your family and/or your business the assurance that you will always have access to a reliable source of energy. Maybe you dont need the excess energy now but you will in the near future. Should you eventually invest in an electric vehicle , then installing a battery means you are set up and ready go.

In short, if money isnt an issue and/or you can afford the repayments, then why not? Install as many panels as your roof can fit the more you generate the more you can cover the balance of your energy consumption needs. If you can afford to buy a $10k TV which offers $0 ROI, or a $20k holiday then why not invest in your home and carbon impact? It comes down to your personal convictions and choiceswhat makes sense for you might not make sense for the next person.

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Which Appliances Do You Want To Run On Battery Power In A Blackout

If you dont have high-draw appliances such as air conditioning or an electric stove, the simplest configuration is to have the battery power your entire house. However, big appliances can rapidly drain even a large battery. For example, a high-end âprosumerâ electric oven can draw in the neighborhood of 10,000 watts. Cooking a turkey with one of these would deplete a Powerwall in short order.

One solution is to buy more batteries, but the more economical approach is to connect only the most critical appliances to your battery. To do this, your contractor can install a subpanel called a critical load panel. The electric circuits in your house that you decide are most important to keep powered in a blackout – such as the one that your refrigerator is on – will be moved to that panel.

You donât need a critical load panel, but most installations will probably need one. Discuss your power requirements and budget with your solar installer to decide if its right for you.

In a blackout, your solar battery will send power to the critical load panel. Circuits that are not on that panel will remain dark.

What Is A Solar Battery

A solar battery is a rechargable battery large enough to at least partially power your household during a blackout. While older and DIY installations might use lead-acid batteries, the newest generation of batteries use lithium, giving them high output, high capacity, and durability.

Technically, home storage batteries dont need to be charged from solar panels. They can be set up to recharge from the electric grid, and some homeowners do exactly that. However, these batteries are marketed by solar companies, so the majority of installations are paired with solar panels.

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Where To Fit The Battery

Allowing sufficient space and considering whether you want to look at the battery are important to take into consideration when arranging your installation. Some owners mentioned having their battery fitted in the loft or garage, while others have it in their home itself. One owner told us that they had to have their loft hatch expanded at an additional cost to accommodate their battery.

Righto I’m Sold What Sort Of Discount Can I Get

This is where it gets a bit tricky.

In the past, different rebates have been offered separately by state governments and the federal government.

All states have stopped offering generous rebates for solar installation, except for Victoria, which still has a rebate of up to $2,225 for households earning less than $180,000.

Some other states are trialling schemes for low-income earners. It’s worth looking at the Department of Energy website to see whether you can claim for this.

And on top of all of this, most households can still get a rebate from the federal government’s small-scale renewable energy scheme.

“When you buy a solar panel system each will be rated to a certain number of certificates and each is worth a certain amount,” Mr Barnes explained.

“At the moment they’re worth just under $40 per certificate typically you’re looking at about $600 per kilowatt of solar system you add on. So it does add up.”

Usually the installer will process the certificates and consumers pay the balance of the cost.

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Case Study: Solar Battery Storage

Lets take a Sydney household with a 5kW solar system already installed. The standard four-person Sydney household consumes 20kWh of electricity a day on average. Now lets assume this property pays an electricity usage rate of 30c/kWh, meaning itll cost the home $6 a day in electricity costs.

The homes 5kW solar system produces about 20kWh of electricity each day, if conditions are optimal. For each kWh of power thats generated from the solar system will mean the household will be saving 30c/kWh.

If this household were to add a solar battery

To complement its current solar system, lets say the household decides to purchase the Tesla Powerwall 2, which costs around $14,500 for the unit plus installation . The Powerwall 2 can hold 13.5kWh of electricity, but will take around 15kWh of the solar systems generated 20kWh to fully charge the battery, according to SolarQuotes.

Of the households 20kWh of electricity use each day, 13.5kWh would be stored in the Powerwall 2 as opposed to relying on the grid, meaning the house would save around $4 a day, or approximately $1,500 each year.

The payback time would be around 10 years

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