Solar Batteries 101

Battery-operated sunshine? How does that work? Solar batteries store energy for later use. And they’ve revolutionized how people use energy in both the residential and solar markets.

Solar energy provides an excellent way to power your home in a more sustainable fashion. But what happens when the sun goes down? Well, that’s where solar batteries come into play. Home batteries are simply the best way to take solar power further, keeping it in-house, and putting it to work when you need it the most.

If you just have a solar panel system without a battery, you will not have power in the event of an outage, even if it’s a clear, sunny day. This is because your solar panel system will shut down in the event of a power outage so that it doesn’t send electricity onto transmission lines while utility workers are attempting to fix them, which would pose a safety risk. 

Batteries are an evolving technology; they are like solar in that, once installed, they will do their job on an ongoing basis. But, unlike solar, batteries have varying life cycles. Batteries are modular and will power only a percentage of the home. In rare cases, they can power 100% of the home. More often, they’re only able to provide enough energy storage for some needs of the home, or only when the grid completely drops off. 

Putting batteries in a home will depend on where that home is located. There are varying levels of energy storage from battery systems and depending on how they were set up and how big they are will determine how much you will actually benefit from having them.

The need for batteries and on-site storage is becoming much larger as the energy profile of homeowners is changing. We saw what happened to the electrical grid in the winter of 2021 as millions of homes across Texas turned on their heaters during an usually bad ice storm. The extreme cold and unusually high power surge caused the grid to fail when people needed it most. The grid went down for days, leaving millions without power, water and gas in the bitter cold of a very severe storm. 

Battery Types

The two most common types of batteries are: lead acid and lithium ion. There are a few sub categories within those; some will require maintenance and some won't. 

Though lithium-ion battery technology was introduced in the 1970’s, it took twenty years for it to really gain popularity. Lithium, the lightest of all metals, has the greatest electrochemical potential. This means that lithium provides the highest energy density per weight, far lighter and more efficient than the previously popular lead acid battery. Lead acid batteries can weigh a ton, making them far more difficult to transport. The weight of lead acid batteries also makes usability much less convenient for residential customers.

The growth of lithium-ion technology has brought about many advantages. In comparison to batteries that have been popularly used in the past, lithium-ion batteries are cleaner, live longer, recycle better and require less maintenance. The solar battery market has skyrocketed because of its ability to solve the solar energy glitch (the fact that solar power isn’t constant because the sun doesn’t shine at night!). 

Battery Life

Batteries age and are only good for so long or so many charge and discharge cycles. Depending on what kind of battery they are will depend on what life they have left in them. Many batteries have warranties for 10 years and there are a few now offering warranties of up to 25 years. Knowing the age will give you a good indication of how much life the batteries have left in them. 

Solar batteries have a high cycle life, meaning they can support a higher number of complete charge/discharge cycles before their capacity falls under 80%. This means that solar batteries don’t require frequent maintenance or replacement. After charging and discharging solar batteries thousands of times, they still remain highly functional. In fact, solar batteries are virtually maintenance-free, allowing owners to enjoy using the battery without worrying about permanent damage due to deep discharge. 

Smart solar batteries have the ability to learn weather and energy trends, so they can focus on storing energy to make sure it’s available when the sun’s rays aren’t as strong. This practice can help maximize power usage, and also minimize the waste of energy when it’s abundant. Smart solar batteries also facilitate communication with owners, and are able to accept wireless commands, giving owners even more control over their energy.

As the price on batteries continues to drop, more and more green homes are adopting a larger and larger percentage of on-site energy storage. A full home assessment must be done in order to determine if the price effectiveness of energy storage is right since there are so many factors that go into making that decision.

Using solar panels has been a great way to tap into a clean, renewable energy source. Now, solar batteries have revolutionized the entire solar industry. Energy storage lets homeowners take advantage of blackout protection, and the freedom of living off the grid, without having to sacrifice their lifestyle. Solar batteries store energy during the day, when most customers aren’t even using the power generated by their solar panels. Energy storage owners come home to a solar battery charged full of energy, ready for the evening.

Whether you’re trying to go greener, maintain the value of your solar energy, or set up reliable back-up power, solar batteries are an excellent option. Learn more by talking with a Spark professional today!