BATTERY STORAGE

When it comes to battery storage, there are a few myth’s that we would like to address in this section. Most consumers are confused by miss information designed to pressure them in one direction or another. The most frequently ask question for battery is “how do I know if I need a battery or not?” Also, “What brand should I go with?” The benefits of battery are two fold- energy insurance & combatting time of use charges. Energy Insurance refers to the event of your utility grid going down. All solar systems have a safety feature that shuts off the system if the grid goes down. Yes, that’s right, even if you have solar you will lose power if the grid goes down. The only way around that is having a battery backup system. Keep in mind, solar system usually produces more energy during daytime then what’s actually needed at that moment, so all that extra energy must go somewhere. Normally, it goes to the grid- however, if the grid is down and you don’t have a battery backup system, then it doesn’t have a place to go. Having a battery backup system is the best solution to avoid power outages in the event of the electrical grid going down, especially for extended periods of time. This is because solar and battery combined will give you autonomy during these events. However, it is important to note that only loads assigned to your battery will be backed up. The quantity of batteries needed is dependent upon the quantity & amperage of loads needing back up. Whatever your needs are, battery can provide you a piece of mind during the event of the grid going down.

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Another benefit for having a battery backup system is to combat time of use charges. As solar becomes more & more popular, Utility companies are constantly looking for ways to replace their loss revenue. One of the most popular way is to switch their customers from a tier structure payment plan to a time of use payment plan. Time of Use payment plan allows them to charge customers a significantly higher amount during certain times of the day. Example would be doubling your price during the hours of 5pm through 9pm. If you work like most folks and get home during these hours, you are likely to use more energy during this time when your solar isn’t producing at peak capacity. Battery storage allows consumers to deplete their battery during the peak hours of a “time of use payment plan”, saving money by avoiding peak charges.