AnnaIf you’ve recently been looking to install a solar panel system, you’ve probably heard about solar batteries. Even while battery systems are more prevalent, many homeowners still don’t know much about them. Solar batteries can be used to store the energy that your solar panels produce. Grid independence and the availability of consistent backup power are just two advantages of a “hybrid solar system,” which consists of a 48v solar battery and solar panels.
How Solar Batteries Operate
Solar batteries store any extra solar energy that your panels don’t immediately need so that you can use it later. You see, solar panels produce the most electricity during the part of the day when your home uses the least amount of electricity. The surplus solar energy is often sent back to the electrical grid by a standard grid-tied solar system.
However, when solar panels and a home battery system are combined, the additional electricity is retained in the battery instead of being transferred to the grid. When the sun goes down, and your solar panels aren’t producing any more electricity, you can use the energy you’ve stored in your batteries instead of paying for electricity from the utility. This means that you may use the entire amount of clean, renewable solar energy that your solar panels produce to power your home, regardless of the time of day.
The Following Factors Affect How Much Solar Batteries Cost
Producer Of Solar Batteries
Similar to other purchases, the price of the battery will vary depending on the brand you choose. This is because different brands use different manufacturing processes and offer different services. For instance, the premium line of Sonnen solar batteries from Germany can cost up to $30,000. The Tesla Powerwall, on the other hand, costs just $11,500.
Battery Chemistry
Although there are many other types of batteries available, the bulk of home systems uses lithium-ion batteries. The two primary lithium-ion chemistries in solar batteries are lithium iron phosphate and NMC (nickel manganese cobalt). NMC batteries, like the LG Chem Prime, cost a little less because they have been around a little longer than LFP batteries like the Electriq PowerPod 2. Some homes prefer using lead-acid batteries even though they are more expensive than lithium-ion batteries due to their lower capacity, shorter lifespan, and requirement for frequent maintenance.
The Number Of Batteries Installed
It might seem apparent, but the amount of installed batteries affects how much a solar energy storage system costs. Depending on your energy consumption in kilowatt-hours, the battery’s storage capacity, the number of appliances you want to power, and how long you want them to run, you’ll need a specific number of solar batteries.
The energy stored in one to two solar batteries is often sufficient to meet your energy needs and provide backup power to a few crucial circuits during a power outage.
Labor Costs
The effort required to construct your battery system will also affect the price of a home solar battery installation. The labor expenses may be slightly reduced if the battery is placed concurrently with the solar panels because all electrical work and permitting required for the solar system and battery system will be completed simultaneously. But if the battery is added to the solar panel system after it has already been set up, labor costs might go up because new licenses need to be obtained, more incentive paperwork might be required, and more electrical work might be required to connect the battery to the solar panels that have already been installed.