Battery Storage
Lots of people are asking us about battery storage. There’s no doubt that the technology is the way of the future and the next major step towards energy independence in businesses (and homes).
With the right software combined with battery storage, you can:
⦁ Store excess solar production during the day for use at night
⦁ Manipulate time of use tariffs (TOU) to buy power at off peak rates when it’s cheaper
⦁ Provide backup power
⦁ Sell energy back to the grid at peak times for a premium rate
How battery storage works
Many solar owners generate more electricity than they need during the day and are increasingly facing network restrictions on how much excess power they can feed back into the grid. This is where a solar battery may be useful. Put simply, battery storage soaks up the excess power a solar system generates during the day, and discharges it back into you home at night. In the long term this can be a more cost effective option than selling excess power back to your retailer for a small feed in tariff, and gives customers the feeling of self-sufficiency. Battery systems can also be configured to provide power in an outage. There are a few different types of storage systems such as Hybrid inverter, AC Coupled and DC Coupled solutions. Our consultants can help you pick the right one for you.
Types of energy storage systems
DC coupled storage
Installed between the solar panels and inverter, this system senses when excess power is being produced and redirects it to the batteries. Later, when you are consuming more power than you’re producing, this power is then released back into your inverter for conversion to AC power and use in the home. One of the advantages of this system is that power is stored in the batteries before it is converted into AC, saving on unnecessary conversions later on. A limitation of this configuration is that you’re unable to draw power from the grid and store it for use later on. It also can’t be configured to provide power in a grid outage. This solution however is cost effective, efficient and usually quite easy to retrofit into existing systems.
AC coupled storage
AC coupled battery setups are the most common way of arranging a storage solution. Whilst not as efficient or as cost effective at storing solar energy as DC coupled, AC solutions have some advantages over DC. AC storage can draw and store power directly from the grid, enabling homeowners to purchase power at cheaper rates for discharge during peak times (when grid power is most expensive). AC coupled systems can also be configured for battery backup and can store excess solar energy. These can work independently of solar power systems, so they’re completely retrofit-table and allow you to draw on other energy sources.
Hybrid inverters
Hybrid inverters are purpose built for solar and batteries and provide significant advantages. Hybrid inverters are technically DC and AC coupled solutions, and like a DC coupled battery can store power before it is converted to AC. As is it also AC coupled, features like battery backup and power storage during cheaper off-peak times can be incorporated. All the monitoring for solar and storage is performed on one unit, which makes it a popular choice for residents wanting to incorporate the two options.