What To Look For When Choosing a Solar Battery
Solar batteries store power generated from the solar panels— and use them to power appliances during blackouts, at night or when the sun is not shining. Installing the right solar battery to your solar power system help reduce power bills and grid dependency. So, here’s what you need to look for when choosing a solar battery.
1. Battery Size
Solar batteries are available in a range of sizes. A solar battery’s size determines its capacity and how long the battery can hold power. It is typically expressed in kWh.
Choosing the right size is critical as both undersized and oversized solar battery systems can affect the overall performance and lifespan of the solar power system. That’s why reaching out to an accredited solar installer is crucial for solar battery installations.
An accredited solar installer will choose an appropriate solar battery size and the number of batteries you need for your solar power system, depending on your energy requirements. For a better understanding, here is an easy example. If your energy consumption is approximately 1kW per hour, a 10kW solar battery may last around 9 to 12 hours.
2. Energy Capacity
A solar battery’s energy capacity is the amount of energy the battery can store and supply to your appliances when in need. It is measured in kWh. The higher the energy capacity, the higher the size of the battery, which means it can hold power for a long time. Today most solar battery systems deliver a continuous power output of 5kW.
3. Power Rating
The power rating of a solar battery indicates how many kilowatts (kW) of power the battery can deliver at once. To be precise, it tells you how many appliances your solar battery can power at once and which those appliances are. Solar batteries also come with two different power ratings: a continuous power rating and a 5-minute or instantaneous power rating.
The instantaneous power rating indicates the amount of power (usually large power) delivered in short bursts. It is suitable for appliances that require a large amount of power to turn on and then run on lower power.
4. Roundtrip Efficiency
Roundtrip efficiency is the percentage of electricity put into storage that is used later. In other words, the roundtrip efficiency of a solar battery tells you how many units of electricity you get from a battery for every unit of electricity you put into it. And this is associated with loss. It’s because no battery is 100% efficient, and there is always going to be some loss. The higher the roundtrip efficiency, the more efficient the solar power system and the less energy lost during storage. So, you need to choose a solar battery with the highest roundtrip efficiency. Typically, an 80% roundtrip efficiency is expected in solar energy storage systems.
5. Battery Lifetime
Never ignore to check for the battery lifetime. Battery lifetime means how long the battery can last, often measured in terms of expected years of operation, expected throughput and expected cycles. For instance, solar lithium-ion batteries have a long lifespan of 15-20 years with a super high cycle life compared to lead-acid batteries. Lithium-ion batteries also do not require frequent maintenance and replacements.
6. Safety
There are many safety standards a solar battery must meet to be certified for installation at home or business. So, you must check if the solar battery you are looking for meets all the safety standards. At Always Energy, we provide only the best solar battery and solar panel systems that meet all the safety standards and ensure high performance.
Contact our team at Always Energy for more assistance in choosing the right solar battery system. We provide high-quality solar panel and solar battery installation services in Port Macquarie, Newcastle, Nambucca Heads, Taree, and Coffs Harbour areas of NSW, tailored to fit your energy needs.
