Todd Nesnick
Solar panels are one way to lower your overall energy consumption, but you need solar batteries to store any excess energy for later use. A solar battery system allows you to save any surplus energy and then store it for use later. When you experience a power outage or a reduction of power output from your solar panels you can utilize the energy that you have stored in your solar batteries. Here are some common questions about solar batteries.
How Long can a Solar Battery Power a Home?
A solar battery may have the capability to power your home but that will depend on a few different factors. What is the overall energy consumption of your home? What is the power rating of the equipment that you are using and the capacity of it? Are you connected to the power grid? You want to purchase a solar battery that is correctly sized to offer you the right amount of electricity to power your home for many days even when the sun is not visible in the sky. A solar battery should be able to store the spare energy that your home’s solar panels create. You will need to determine how long that “extra” energy will last.
What do Solar Batteries Look Like?
Solar batteries or solar battery storage systems look similar to a small water heater or refrigerator. The size of this equipment can be as large as a shipping container, it just depends on how much battery storage is required.
How Long Does a Solar Battery Last?
A solar battery can last on average anywhere from five to fifteen years. If you install a battery today, you will need to replace it at least one time during the lifespan of your solar panels. As the technology evolves, so does the performance of solar batteries and they tend to last a lot longer than those of the past.
What Happens to Excess Solar Power When Batteries are Full?
Once the battery bank has filled, it will no longer absorb power from the solar power system. The solar panels continue to generate power, but that power is not stored or used until an energy demand is made upon the system. Once there is battery space available, that excess energy is then saved into the battery storage.
How do You Know When Your Solar Battery is Full?
Your solar battery will have a screen and display that indicates the level it is at. Whether it is in absorption mode or in float phase, or if it is completely full, you should be able to make this determination by looking at the display panel.
Can Solar Batteries be Overcharged?
Solar panels can overcharge batteries. The charge rate is dependent upon the voltage of the solar panel, the battery voltage and the output current. A solar charge controller is what can help to eliminate overcharging.
Do Solar Batteries Drain Overnight?
A good quality solar panel will not drain your battery overnight. If your battery is draining overnight, there is a possibility that the bypass diodes are broken and need to be replaced. If you have a solar charge controller this device will prevent the drainage of the battery. A solar charge controller will ensure that batteries do not drain.
What can Damage a Solar Battery?
If you are always overcharging a solar battery, it will damage the battery. Damage to your solar battery will also shorten the life of the battery.
What Causes Solar Batteries to Drain Quickly?
If a load is connected to a solar battery, it will draw current from that battery, and this will cause the battery to drain. The bigger the current being drawn, the faster the battery will drain.
If you have decided to connect with solar panels for energy, you have made a winning decision. Now you just need to have adequate storage for your panels in the form of solar batteries. You will need to decide on the size of the batteries that you install based on your power requirements. Once you have these batteries installed, you could even add power back into the electrical grid and receive a payment from your local electrical provider. Solar power saves you money and it can also pay you money, which you would never see with traditional electrical power sources. Not only are you reducing your carbon footprint, but you are also helping others to have access to energy that they may not have otherwise been able to access.
Article suggested by Orca Solar Lighting