How Do Solar Batteries Work?

As solar technology increases in popularity, more people have developed an interest in its products and how they work. The solar panel system includes several components, including solar batteries, which are the focal point of this article. The solar battery system has gained prominence in several countries across the world as it has helped to reduce the global carbon footprint. Ireland, for instance, has a 2.5 GW solar battery storage in developing phases.

In Ireland, the average household with a grid-tied system uses at least 65% of the power it generates. On the other hand, homes using solar battery storage use at least 85% of their electricity.

To decide if energy storage is good for your home or office, you should be acquainted with how the solar battery storage system works with solar panels and your buildings. The overview is that you install solar panels to get solar energy from the sun. As solar panels generate electricity to power your home, the excess solar energy goes to solar battery storage. The stored energy is kept until the panels can’t receive energy from the sun anymore.

Let’s get an in-depth glimpse into the workings of solar panel battery storage.

How Solar Batteries Work With Solar Panels

As the demand for it grows, so does the number of suppliers. When shopping for solar installation quotes, installers will offer a variety of solar panel systems. These include grid-tied systems, off-grid systems, and hybrid systems. The grid-tied system doesn’t need solar batteries because the panels are connected to the grid, and the excess solar power is exported to the grid for utility credits. Conversely, if your panels produce less electricity than you consume, you can augment their supply with grid power. With this solar power system, your energy bills will reduce significantly.

When it comes to the hybrid or off-grid system, which uses solar energy storage, the solar panels get DC electricity from the sun and charge the energy storage systems. At night when there’s no sun to provide solar energy, the energy in the battery is converted by the solar inverter to AC electricity and supplied to the home.

The Benefits Of Using Energy Storage Systems

Solar Batteries Provide Backup Power

Solar battery systems make you independent of the grid because you won’t be affected by power outages due to extreme weather conditions or a shut-off from your utility company. You won’t even be aware of such incidents because the battery’s stored energy will ensure your home has a steady electricity supply.

Using a solar power system without battery backup is the opposite because you’ll be affected by power outages even when there’s intense sunlight. This is because, in the event of extreme weather conditions, the grid-tied solar panels will shut down during a power outage so it doesn’t transmit electricity to the power lines and pose a safety risk for the utility workers. However, with the grid-tied system, you can earn credits via feed-in tariffs from the utility company.

Batteries Reduce Or Eliminate Electricity Bills

Using a grid-tied solar panel system will significantly reduce your energy costs since you won’t need grid electricity during peak hours. On the flip side, if you’re using an off-grid system that comes with solar battery storage to provide backup power outside peak hours, there will be no utility bills to pay. In either scenario, you get to save money.

This is also a huge advantage for offices or industrial buildings. Installing a Commercial PV system with ample battery backup will significantly reduce their monthly demand charge.

How Do Solar Batteries Store Energy?

Now that you know how the battery system works with solar panels, you should know the specifics of how solar batteries work. Let’s look at lithium-ion batteries since they’re the most commonly used solar battery types.

The Workings Of Lithium-Ion Batteries

The lithium-ion battery powers many things in today’s world – from cell phones to household appliances. Lithium-ion batteries work by moving lithium ions through the electrolyte within the battery. When the lithium ions flow from an anode to a cathode, it generates free electrons, which are elements released from lithium atoms. As these free electrons accumulate, lithium-ion batteries are able to charge and store DC electricity. This is what happens when the excess electricity from the solar panels is used to charge the solar batteries.

When the solar battery discharges to provide electricity for the home, the movement is reversed i.e. the lithium ions are moved from the cathode to the anode. Both processes occur repeatedly, resulting in thousands of charge and discharge cycles throughout the battery’s life cycle.

Lithium-ion batteries in a PV system setup pair multiple ion battery cells with sophisticated power electronics to regulate the safety and performance of the entire home energy storage system. Lithium-ion batteries come in varieties, and they work differently. These rechargeable batteries are individually known for several attributes, including longer lifespan and enhanced power density.

The Workings Of Lead-Acid Batteries

Lead-acid batteries work with sulphuric acid and lead. This solar battery works by submerging the lead in sulphuric acid or bonding the sulfate ions contained in the sulphuric acid with the lead to produce electricity and vice versa to discharge and supply electricity through the battery inverter to the home. The vice versa entails the depletion of sulfate ions in the battery. This battery has been used for a long time, but its technology has vastly improved over the years.

How Do Solar Batteries Work: The Step-By-Step Breakdown

Phase 1: Solar Power Generation

When solar panels have been installed on the roof or ground, their solar cells trap visible light from the sun and convert it to electricity. This electricity, in its raw form, is DC electricity or direct current. This electricity is converted by the inverter to AC electricity, which is then supplied to the home, and excess energy is stored in the battery.

Phase 2: The Battery Charges

On several occasions, solar panels produce more electricity than the home currently consumes. This excess electricity is then channelled to the solar battery or batteries (if multiple solar batteries were installed to store ample amounts of electrical energy). The amount of excess energy going to the battery determines the charging speed. Another factor that will determine the charging speed is the size or capacity of the solar power system.

Phase 3: The Battery Discharges

The solar battery discharges renewable energy on two occasions. There is a power outage, and the battery has to provide backup power, or the panel is no longer getting energy from the sun, or the battery has to take over the electricity supply from its storage capacity. The second scenario is the battery is used to store energy which is later used to the owner’s benefit for time-of-use rate plans.

Factors That Affect The Price Of The Solar Battery

Though there’s a range of prices for battery systems in Ireland, there are several factors that affect the exact price of the battery you need for your home or office.

The Capacity

The capacity or size of a solar battery defines the volume of energy or electricity it can store. The larger the capacity, the more your energy independence from the grid. However, the bigger the capacity, the more expensive the battery will be. The typical amount of energy stored in batteries ranges from 10-20 kWh. If you’re going for a hybrid solar system, you won’t spend as much as you’ll spend if it’s an off-grid system.

The Type Of Solar Battery

There are two categories for types of batteries. The first category is the make of the battery and its chemistry; We’re referring to lithium-ion batteries and lead-acid batteries. The former is much more expensive than the latter at the same capacity. However, its price is a fair bargain as it has a longer lifespan than lead-acid batteries.

The second category is the type of electricity it stores and supplies – DC or AC solar battery. A good example of the former is an LG Chem battery, but it’s far less common and flexible than AC batteries. Most solar systems are paired with an AC battery. However, if the solar setup comes with a DC battery, you can convert DC electricity to AC electricity through a hybrid inverter. This equipment also functions in reverse as it can also convert AC electricity to DC power.

Labour Costs

The installation of solar batteries requires expertise, which will be paid for. This can be handled by a solar installer or a licensed electrician, and their fee varies based on their level of experience.

Other Materials

Aside from the solar energy storage capacity, you must get other important materials such as the battery mounts, disconnect switches, and conduits to install the energy storage system and connect it properly to the home solar system.