You’ve decided that now is the perfect time to install a solar panel system in your home. You have been looking at the various options available to you and you know how much energy your home uses on average every year. With this information to hand, you can choose the most optimum performing solar panel system for your home. But now you have read somewhere that buying a solar battery is a good idea as well.
You might now be questioning everything you’ve already heard about solar panels and wondering if a battery is something you need. Or can you just install the solar system without one?
Is Battery Storage Essential?
The experts at solar energy company Vivint Solar explain that you can use a home solar panel system without a battery. The way a simple solar panel system works is that when the sun is up, light that hits the panels is absorbed and transformed into electricity for use within the home. While the solar panels will generate more electricity on sunnier days, they still workon cloudy days.
Without a battery, any excess electricity your panels generate is sent back to the grid and used by the utility company for its customers. When your solar panels are not generating electricity at night, the electricity needed to power your home comes from the grid. This means that while your solar panel system canhelp power your home during the day and save money on your bills at the same time, you will still need to pay for the electricity that you use when the panels are generating little or no power.
The Benefits of Having Battery Storage
If you install a solar battery system, any excess electricity your solar panel system generates will not be sent back to the grid and will instead be stored in the battery. You can then use this stored electricity at times of the day when the panels are not generating electricity. Like those times of the day when your energy usage is typically higher, especially if you go out to work during the day.
Solar panel systems allow you to save money on your energy bills buthavinga battery storage system as well means you can save even more. This is because the money you receive for the excess electricity sent to the grid is likely to be far lower than the cost of importing electricity back from your energy company. It would be far better to store that excess electricity for use in your own home.
Another benefit of having a battery for your solar panel system is that, with the right equipment, you will be able to disconnect from the grid in the event of a power cut. This will enable you to continue having access to electricity by taking it from your battery instead.
The rising costs of energy is another reason to think about a solar battery storage system. If you are not on a fixed tariff, you will be at the mercy of the utility companies and their ever-increasing prices. By generating your own electricity and storing the excess, the amount of energy you draw from the grid will be significantly reduced, protecting you from the brunt of the fluctuating prices.
Conclusion
While it is not essential to have a battery with your solar panel system, the benefits of having one are massive. The ability to store generated electricity for use when your energy needs are higher, such as early morning and in the evening, is a huge benefit that will save you money in the long run.
