Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Batteries?
In the past, installing a solar battery has been seen as a product solely for those looking for completely off grid living.
With renewable technology developing at a tremendous rate, however, and more people than ever looking to reduce their carbon footprint and their soaring energy bills, solar batteries have become more viable than ever.
Why are solar batteries required?
In times of high supply, in the middle of the day for example, solar PV panels generate far more electricity than is required by the average home.
The excess energy is exported back into the national grid through the Smart Export Guarantee scheme.
At night, when the efficiency of solar panels is lower, homeowners have to rely on grid energy to power their appliances.
With a solar battery however, this no longer needs to be the case, with the excess energy being stored within the battery, to be used when required.
How do they work?
By pairing your solar PV panels with a solar battery, when the sun goes down your solar battery will kick in and power your home with the excess electricity generated during the day.
This means that you will be able to benefit from clean, renewable, and significantly cheaper than grid energy, 24 hours per day.
Solar batteries are usually made of either lead-acid or lithium-ion with lithium-ion generally recognised as the most effective on the market due to their fast charging ability and larger capacity.
Benefits of Solar Batteries
If you are looking to reduce your carbon footprint and energy bills by investing in renewable energy solar is currently one of the best options available.
A solar battery has many benefits for homeowners and are a key component if you are interested in becoming independent from grid energy.
The benefits of owning a solar battery include:
Maximise your solar panels
Solar panels are one of the most efficient renewable energy sources available currently to UK homeowners, offering 100% clean energy at an excellent rate during the day.
Solar batteries reduce your carbon footprint even further by ensuring you are able to make the most out of your solar panels at all times.
A study by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MSC) found that without a battery, homeowners were only utilising 35-50% of the energy being generated by their solar panels.
On the other hand, those who have a storage system in place are able to use as much as 80%.
Lower Energy Bills
A reduction in the amount of energy that you are taking from the national grid means that your energy bills will be significantly lower than they would be without a battery in place.
According to E.ON, installing a 9.6 kWh solar battery, alongside 12 x 315W panels, can result in savings of up to £560 every year, and with electricity prices on the rise, this number will only increase in the years to come.
Energy Independence
By increasing the amount of energy you are able to generate through renewable means, will help you to become more independent from the electricity grid.
Energy prices are constantly on the rise, and with the government looking to meet their carbon emission targets by limiting the use of fossil fuels, a solar battery will protect you against any price fluctuations in the future.
Flexibility
One of the great things about a solar battery is that it can either be incorporated into an existing solar panel system or installed at the same time.
This means that whatever stage you are at with your home renewable energy system it is simple to incorporate a solar battery into the system.
Depending on whether or not you already have solar PV panels in place you will either require an AC-coupled or DC-coupled battery.
Negatives of Solar Battery Installation
Solar batteries are expensive
Solar batteries will pay for themselves over their lifespan in the form of reduced energy bills, but there is a significant upfront cost associated.
Solar battery prices range from £2000-£7000 depending on the capacity of the chosen unit.
It is important to take time to calculate your energy needs before making your decision as although a higher capacity battery may cost more immediately, you will see much larger reductions in your reliance on the national grid so savings will also be much greater in the long-term.
Take Up Space
Battery storage units that are large enough to power a significant number of home appliances can be the size of a small refrigerator so if you are intent on buying a system that needs to be installed inside the property you need to be sure that you have the room required.
Contact Greener Energy Group
For more information on solar batteries or solar PV panels call Greener Energy Group today on 03335 77 66 99 or fill out our home suitability survey today.