Should I Get a Battery with My Solar System
Short on Time? Here’s The Article Summary
The article discusses whether you should include a battery with your solar power system, emphasizing the benefits even for those with established setups. It explains that a battery allows for more efficient use of solar energy, particularly useful during overcast weather, nighttime, and power outages. While a battery is not mandatory, it maximizes the potential of solar energy systems, preventing waste and providing power when sunshine is limited.
Economic benefits include reducing dependence on the grid and saving money, especially in "time-of-use" areas where electricity rates vary. The article also provides guidance on calculating the battery capacity needed based on household consumption, autonomous days, and depth of discharge. It recommends specialized deep-cycle solar batteries over car batteries for solar systems and suggests ShopSolarKits as a reliable source for solar kits and batteries.
Introduction
You may be contemplating the purchase of a solar kit, and find yourself wondering “Should I get a battery with my solar system?” This is a common question asked by new solar enthusiasts, so we decided to take a closer look at this topic.
This guide is not only of benefit to newcomers to the solar energy community. Even those of you with established solar setups will benefit from the addition of a good solar battery. There are benefits to doing so that you may not even have considered before.
As always, we strive to make understanding solar energy fun and simple. So join us as we examine if you need a battery for your solar system. We also discuss why you need it, and how to choose the best battery for your individual needs.
Table of Contents
Should I Get a Battery with My Solar System?
The short answer is, yes, you should get a battery with your solar system. It will allow you to have a more efficient solar setup. Why is this the case? To answer that question more fully, we first need to do a quick recap of how solar power works.
What Do I Need the Battery for?
Solar power is the energy harnessed from the sun’s rays. When those rays hit the photovoltaic cells in your solar panels, that sunshine is converted into energy that you can use. So where does the need for the battery come in?
Overcast Weather
On overcast days, though there is some sunshine passing through the clouds. There won’t be enough solar heat or light energy for your solar panels to capture. By storing the energy your panels capture on sunny days, you will have access to solar power on overcast days.
Therefore, a battery will increase the availability of solar power to your home in inclement weather. This is the best option if you live in an area with few sunny days.
Nighttime Use
There are only a limited number of sunshine hours per day. Even the best solar panels cannot harness the energy from the sun when sunshine is not available. If you don”t store solar energy when it is plentiful, a lot of the energy that your panels collect will be lost.
The sun’s heat and light are not available to your solar panels at night. However, if you store solar energy during the day, you can enjoy access to stored solar power even at night.
Power Outages
What do you do during an interruption to your power supply?
When you’re relying on only solar power, it does not store any of that power unless you have a battery. And when there is any interruption to your power supply you will have a real problem. Because if the power grid fails, your solar-only system will also be shut down. Prevent this issue with a solar battery.
Do I Have to Have a Solar Battery?
No, you don’t have to have one, but you should. You see, the whole point of using alternative forms of power such as solar is to live a more sustainable life. That means less reliance on the grid, and more reliance on clean, natural energy.
By using a solar battery to store your unused solar power, you will be preventing the waste of that excess energy. And you will also maximize your investment by having access to solar power even when sunshine is limited or is not available.
Solar energy is safe, reliable, eco-friendly, and a great asset to any home. Without the means to store the energy when there is a surplus, you will not be using your system to its full potential. The benefits of having batteries for solar systems are clear.
Are There Economic Benefits to Using a Solar Battery?
Yes, there are certainly economic benefits to using a battery for storing solar power. And this is most noticeable in “time-of-use” areas. If you live in one of these areas, you will pay different rates for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity based on the time of day.
During peak hours, your battery will be a useful backup of stored power. Solar power in general, and especially with a good storage system, will reduce your dependence on the grid and save you money and hassle.
That is why we include batteries for storage in our all-in-one solar power systems. These packages are ideal for those of you who want to reap all the benefits by going completely off-grid.
How to Calculate the Battery Capacity Needed
Different households have different needs when it comes to power. Other factors include the availability of sunshine in your area, and whether or not you are totally off-grid. Or perhaps you actually need storage for the solar setup on your RV instead of a house.
Are you are unsure of how many batteries you will need to provide an adequate backup of power for your individual needs? Keep reading for the simplest way to figure that out.
Household Consumption
Want to know how to calculate the battery capacity needed for your solar system? First, you need to know how much energy your household consumes on an average day. The way to calculate that is to multiply the watts needed for each essential appliance by the hours each appliance is used.
Once you have the watt-hour values of each appliance you may use on an average day, add them all together. This figure will give you your daily household consumption. Of course, you could also get an indication of our power needs by looking at your usage listed on your power bills.
Autonomous Days
These are the number of days that your solar battery will be able to power your system despite a lack of sunshine or other factors. You should choose a battery that will give you at least 2 autonomous days, in the event of a disaster of some kind.
Depth of Discharge
To prevent damage to the battery, batteries are set with a depth of discharge rate. This can vary between 50-80%. This means that you will get that percentage of usable power from a battery before the need to recharge again.
Multiply These Figures
Multiply your daily consumption figure by your autonomous days' figure (however many days you feel you will need backup) by the depth of discharge rate. You will then know how many batteries you need to have adequate stored solar power on hand.
What Is the Best Battery for My Solar System?
The best battery to use, to ensure a ready supply of stored power, is the kind that is designed for solar systems. If you are considering going completely off-grid, your choice of battery is important. And similarly, if you need to determine the best batteries for your RV solar system, good batteries are crucial.
The last thing you need is to be stuck out in the wilderness with no power. Anyone considering going adventure trekking, or contemplating the van life as a long-term nomadic lifestyle, needs a good solar setup with the best batteries.
Our 12-volt deep cycle solar battery is the best choice for your solar system. no matter whether you are using it to supplement your electricity or completely replace your dependence on the grid.
Why Must It Be a Specialized Solar Battery?
For any job, the best tools are ones that are designed for the task at hand. And this is just as true for solar systems because solar batteries need to meet specific demands that other batteries may not.
Solar setups require deep-cycle batteries. These are batteries that are designed to be regularly discharged and have most of their capacity used. Lithium deep-cycle batteries are the best batteries for storing solar energy.
We understand that you may be concerned about how much a solar battery storage system costs.
A quick look at other manufacturers and retailers will prove that deep-cycle batteries can be expensive.
That is why we offer the best solar batteries for your system’s needs as well as your budget. You will find just what you need, whether you are setting up a new solar system or just considering adding batteries to your existing solar system.
Can’t I Just Use an Old Car Battery?
Do not be tempted to save money by using an old car battery that is sitting unused in your garage. While it may work, it is not recommended for solar system use.
A car battery is designed to give a short burst of energy to start a car’s engine. That's great news for your car, but not for your home power needs. A car battery is just not designed for the type of continuous demand that a solar battery may face.
Conclusion
Solar batteries are specifically designed for storing solar energy. Now that you know what you need and why you need it, all you have to do is get the best solar kit and battery. We not only have the best solar kits, but we also have the best solar batteries and chargers for your needs.
We stock all that you will need for your solar setup. and we are happy to assist you with any further queries that you may have. Because at Shopsolarkits.com, we make solar simple.
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Who is ShopSolar.com?
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