Solar panels are designed to generate electricity during the daytime. Batteries allow the stored energy to be used during the night, and the more the batteries are used, the less grid energy needs to be purchased.
How it works
Solar panels convert energy to DC electricity during the daytime. Batteries can only store energy that is not used, if the energy is not used, it is sent to the grid. When the sun sets, the stored energy is used to operate the home or business. Most batteries will charge from the grid if the cost is less than what you would pay for the energy at peak hours.
Batteries store energy, they do not generate it. Batteries can also be purchased separately or with solar panels and the energy stored in the batteries can be used to avoid higher energy costs.
Capacity – How much do you actually need
A normal home consumes about 8-12 kWh. If a battery is sized smaller than that consumption, it will just result in more grid energy purchases, and if the battery is sized larger, it is additional energy costs. Every battery system we design is specific to the customer and their home.
Commercial sites impact power draws diversely. Consider a small retail unit vs a manufacturing unit with a three-phase power draw. This is the reason commercial systems need an on-site survey instead of a fixed spec. How the survey works is detailed here: Commercial Solar & Battery.
What’s involved in installation
- A site survey and system design
- Installation, which takes [X days] on average, depending on system size
- Commissioning and handover, with instructions for performance monitoring
- Servicing — refer to Service & Maintenace
End of life
Batteries eventually expire, and when that happens, they must be treated as hazardous waste. We manage compliant hazardous waste disposal and collection as part of the service. How we manage this can be found on Battery Recycling & Disposal.