Whether it’s Commercial or Domestic Installation are Batteries the way to go? Or are they a waste of time and money?
While battery powered concepts have been in circulation for the the last few hundred years, or in the case of the Ancient Egyptians a few thousand, having batteries powering homes is quite a new practice for most people. While the marketing Material and Launching of Battery systems and products have been a success in this new century, are consumers receiving all the information to make informed financial decisions. So there’s a few important questions that need to be addressed, Do they work? Are they worth their Value? and if so which one is the right choice?
Batteries for homes can come a in varying different types, Lead Acid, Lithium Ion and Saltwater are examples. Lead Acid being around for decades and Saltwater being New technology, the majority of Home Battery Systems fall under the Lithium Ion technology banner. Although Lithium ion Battery’s are more expensive than the traditional Lead Acid systems the advantages of them being lighter, more compact and also coming with longer life spans is a plus.
So do they work? Yes of course they work! But it’s what your expectations are that is important. Poor misconceptions and misinformation is when consumers think that because they have Solar PV and Battery storage they won’t be using the Grid as their energy Source. Battery’s are charged from Solar PV Systems during daylights hours, Each battery depending on size make/model has a capacity. Meaning once it is fully charged that’s all it will hold no matter how long your daylight hours are. Your home will start using the Battery power once the Solar is no longer in use (Night hours). Your home battery system will be designed to use all battery power before relying on the Grid again. The duration of the battery charge before being fully reliant on the Grid again will always vary from system to system home to home.
Are they worth their Value? Asking that same question 10 or even 5 years ago, the answer “Yes” would feel like a stretch to most people especially the common house hold. Technologies in this field have become so far advanced in the last few years and are expected to reach new heights as we move into the new decade. All makes and models have come leaps and bounds from their previous versions before them. With all new upgrades being integrated within the Battery Systems this rise in advance technology is steadily becoming more and more affordable to the average home owner. The Value of these products should be determined on your own Power Usage and that alone. When Purchasing Products like these ALWAYS ask for a Return of investment Calculation (ROI). This calculation should tell you if what energy your using warrants the cost of purchasing the Storage system. While the Battery’s will work as they’re designed and will have value as a product, how its used everyday is how YOU will see your Value for money.
Which Battery Model is best? The great thing about New technology is having multiple brands battling it out to out do one another. Each brand is striving to be the next best thing, not only with efficiency and reliability but also with price. There are a multitude of Brands of storage systems The Most common names thrown around out there at the moment would be; LG Chem, Sonnen Battrie and of course the Popular Tesla Powerwall. While the LG is efficient and quick and easy to install it will only work with certain PV systems. If you have your heart set on a certain Solar Inverter or already have an existing system and are looking at installing Battery’s be sure to do you research on compatibility. This is where Sonnen and Tesla have stepped ahead of the rest. They can be fitted with almost ALL PV Systems out there. The prices will vary from model to model as well as some specifications but its safe to say that as of today you should be happy with either purchase.
When it comes to Battery Storage units the short sprint of the initial concept has been run but the marathon of the greatest and best product is still ongoing and for consumers we hope this race never stops. Whether it be new improvements on current products or better inventions for our daily power usage, our Energy is important so making it more affordable and easily accessible is something we should always build on and strive for in the future.
