How Do Solar Batteries Work?
We’ve all heard of them before, but how exactly do they work? Different to your more traditional AA or AAA batteries you insert into your TV remote, solar batteries are a power source like no other. Be sure to read this blog post discover how solar batteries work.
What is a Solar Battery?
A solar battery is a type of battery that is attached to a solar PV system to store the created energy. The solar panels absorb the energy from the sun, and this is converted into electricity by the inverter. A battery is an additional component that can be installed to store this generated electricity to be used at a later date.
The idea behind a solar battery is so you can generate your own electricity during the day when the sun is up, and then store this generated electricity for use in the evenings and night when there is no sun, and therefore no energy being generated by the solar panels.
A solar battery is an ideal addition for those looking for off-the-grid living, where they can reduce or fully remove their reliance for electricity from the grid, and generate and use their own electricity.
What Type of Solar Batteries Exist?
There are many solar battery brands and manufactures available in the Australian market. Well-known brands such as Tesla with their Tesla Powerwall are among the most recognisable brands, but also established solar panel and inverter brands such as Solax provide solar batteries. Browse the brands that Ford & Doonan Solar carry below.
What is the Best Type of Solar Battery?
Before jumping into the purchase stage for a new solar battery, it is important to consider the following:
What kind of power capacity do I require?
What budget do I have?
Do I need a single or three phase battery?
Power Capacity
The solar battery is designed to hold power for the complete system. Smaller systems can begin at 6.5kWh, whereas larger systems can rise up to and beyond 10kWh systems. These battery sizes are measured in kWh, meaning kilowatt-hours. One example of how this measurement is used in real life is through the Tesla Powerwall. For example, the Powerwall has 13.5kWh of useable energy with a charge and discharge rate of 5kW. Therefore, with a 5kW solar system, the solar battery will be fully charged in 2.7 hours.
Budget
What sort of budget do I have? Solar batteries can start from as little as $11,000* when being added to an existing solar PV system in a residential package. When including a battery system into a new solar system quote, be sure to factor an amount for the battery. With so many solar batteries on the market, it is important to have a strong budget guide. Generally, the higher the capacity, the more you can expect to pay. Try our handy solar budget estimator today by clicking the button below.
Single or Three Phase
Finally, do you require single or three phase batteries? This will depend on the kind of solar system you’re having installed. Batteries are available for both single and three phase systems. Most Western Australian homes are single phase. This means they have a live wire to their home carrying all electricity. Whereas a three phase is three live phases running into the home. Three phase power is only used for larger homes with large electrical demands.
Type of Solar Batteries
Let’s start with lithium ion batteries. The lithium ion batteries are among the most common type of solar battery, and are essentially multiple lithium ion batteries combined together. The Depth of Discharge (DoD) measures the degree to which the battery can be used relative to its original capacity. Lithium ion batteries often have a longer lifespan and higher DoD, meaning they work better for longer.
The second kind is a lead acid battery. This form of battery storage is likely most familiar as it is very similar to the battery found in your car! Having been around for years, lead acid batteries aren’t quite as advanced as newer forms of battery storage, and as a result the DoD we mentioned above is less for them. Try our handy solar budget estimator today by clicking the button below.
How much Does Battery Storage Cost?
Battery storage for your residential solar PV system has come down dramatically in recent years. With continual development in both capacity and installation, solar batteries can now be had for approximately $11,000*.
When purchasing a new solar PV system for your home, be sure to get a quote from the company about the brand of solar battery, the storage capacity for the system, and what sort of warranty is available. Ford & Doonan Solar only carry quality solar batteries that are designed for the Western Australian climate.
What is a Hybrid Inverter?
A hybrid inverter is a combination of AC and DC type solar inverters. The hybrid system allows for the power to be saved into batteries without the unnecessary conversions like DC coupled systems require. This means the hybrid inverter only requires one piece of equipment, instead of the two that standard inverters and battery inverters otherwise require.
How to Purchase a Solar Battery
Solar batteries are now available from Ford & Doonan Solar. We can either provide a quotation for a new complete solar system including a battery, or a quotation for a solar battery as part of an existing solar PV system.
*Pricing quoted in this website are for residential applications only, for a single storey home with tin roof. Price subject to site inspection and formal quotation.
