Which is better? An installation with or without solar batteries? When planning the installation of photovoltaic panels in a home or business, we need to take into account all the factors that will influence their performance from an energy and financial point of view.
One of the most important and difficult tasks is to calculate the available area correctly, and establish how many solar panels a house or building needs in order to cover its energy demands, according to the type of panel or the orientation of the house.
We must also assess whether we are going to choose direct self-consumption (a photovoltaic installation without batteries) or self-consumption with storage (a photovoltaic installation with batteries), as both options have their advantages and disadvantages.
Solar batteries: why are they important?
The solar batteries in a photovoltaic installation accumulate the unused electricity generated by the solar panels at peak times. The stored electricity is then used during the night or when there is no sun, such as on winter afternoons when it gets dark earlier and on summer nights.
Generally speaking, we can consider these batteries as a back-up to guarantee that we will have electricity available to us. However, when installing a photovoltaic system, it’s actually an optional element.
Do I need solar batteries in my solar installation?
By using solar batteries we can store the solar energy that we produce and don’t consume, and then use it either when the panels are not able to produce energy, or at times when our house or business requires more energy.
As a result, we depend less on the national grid and the suppliers, and save money into the bargain.
When are they recommended and what are their advantages?
Installing solar batteries is the best option for houses without an electricity connection or remote properties. In this case, the advantages are:
- Sustainability. Thanks to solar batteries we can store the energy we don’t use and then use it at other times. On average, experts estimate that the batteries can cover 53% of a home’s energy requirements, which raises the efficiency of the solar energy generated to 99%. This means that we are talking about a 100% renewable, clean and sustainable energy production system.
- Independence: Batteries or accumulators provide us with greater independence as we will only need to use the electricity grid when they have no charge left, which, under normal conditions, with good calculations and a good use of energy, may be only 10% or 20% of a home’s annual consumption, or even less.
- Development. Purchasing solar batteries helps the industry to continue to evolve, which ultimately means better performance, more efficiency, and lower costs for the different elements in photovoltaic installations.
Adding batteries to a photovoltaic installation has all these pros, but also some cons. Because of this, before coming to a decision, we advise you to be clear about what type of home it is, how you are going to use your solar installation, and the electricity requirements you need to cover. You should also analyse the cost-benefit ratio of this investment to find out whether an installation with solar batteries is the best option for you.
Here at MyGreenHouse, we are experts in photovoltaic energy and we design each project with our clients’ current and future needs in mind. Are you looking for professional advice? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
