Green energy allows pollution-free means to generate electricity that powers your home’s appliances. It is a way to reduce your carbon footprint using non-green energy. With the large number of studies conducted, experts have found numerous ways to generate electricity.
With more and more homeowners demanding options to use clean energy, manufacturers have developed technology that can power whole neighborhoods by collecting reserves from unlimited power sources.
There are many ways to store clean energy. One way is to use solar batteries, which are attached to solar panels and come along with the solar panels when you invest in them.
In this article, we’ll be delving into how solar batteries work, how different solar batteries affect energy usage, and the benefits of using solar batteries to power your home.
How Solar Batteries Work
Solar batteries are constructed to store the energy collected from solar panels. They’re made of diverse materials that combine to create a system that allows electricity to be stored for later usage.
Usually, without installing solar batteries, the power goes directly into the grid system, where it would be stored and credited to the user when they needed the energy. But installing solar batteries allows users to source energy directly from their solar panels rather than the grid.
Solar panels usually produce more than the required energy that a homeowner requires in the day. That is why using solar batteries allows owners to collect the excess energy and use it at times of need, like powering household appliances throughout the night.
There’s also the possibility of not using solar batteries but instead collecting the used energy through a method known as net metering, where the excess electricity is stored off into a grid of the respective energy company, which then credits you the energy resource when you require it.
Types of Solar Batteries
There are four main types of solar batteries that are available to the public that has their own unique set of characteristics:
1. Lead Acid Solar Batteries
These batteries were the first ones to be released in the 1800s. They have been around due to their reliability. The lead acid batteries are then subdivided into two more types: flooded lead acid batteries and sealed lead acid batteries.
They’re cheap, which makes them the most cost-effective. Due to this, they are reliable and can easily be disposed of and recycled. However, they require ventilation and regular maintenance, or there are chances of leaking, which can be hazardous to the environment.
2. Lithium-Ion Solar Batteries
While they are mostly present in vehicles, lithium-ion batteries were introduced as an energy storage solution. They then began to grow in popularity to become solar batteries. They hold more energy than other batteries, even in a limited space.
They require no maintenance, have a higher energy density, and their average lifecycle gives them up to 10 years. On the contrary, due to their efficiency in storing energy, they are considered to be quite expensive. They also are hazardous as they can catch fires due to thermal runaway.
3. Nickel-Based Solar Batteries
Nickel-based batteries got a makeover in the 1980s, which led to an increase in the battery’s energy storage. These were most popular in the aircraft industry. Their durability allows them to be used in large-scale applications.
Thanks to their durability, they can perform at extreme temperatures. They need a more complex management system while being maintenance-free. But the use of cadmium is banned in a few countries, which makes them hard to dispose of.
4. Flow Solar Batteries
Flow batteries contain water-based electrolytes between two chambers within the battery. The chemical reaction occurred by the charging allows energy to be stored and discharged. The larger the size of the battery, the more expensive it gets, making it hard to adapt to residential use.
These batteries have a 100% depth charge using all the energy without damaging the battery’s health. Its liquid is also fire retardant, so you won’t face the risk of thermal runaway. This way, it has the longest lifespan compared to other batteries. Due to their high price, they are not accessible to everyone, especially compared to other battery types, which hold more storage than a flow battery.
Benefits of Solar Batteries
There are quite a few benefits of using solar batteries of various types, here are 4 benefits listed down below:
1. Energy Independence
Installing solar panels means that you won’t be dependent on electricity from the grid of an electrical company that extracts energy from fossil fuels. You power your home using renewable energy, reducing your environmental impact in the process. In the long run, you can get a variety of benefits by going solar.
2. Reduce Carbon Footprint
By using a clean energy source, you reduce your carbon footprint, which means that you don’t use energy that can have a lasting impact on the environment.
3. Quiet Backup Power
This use of energy refers to times when you need energy but the electrical grid isn’t able to support your home and its appliances. Alternatives like generators build too much smoke and they’re noisy as well. Solar batteries act as a much quieter alternative.
4. Electric Bill Savings
When you generate your electricity through solar panels, you aren’t dependent on the electrical company. Therefore, using electricity from solar panels is easier to keep track of in everyday usage. The energy source allows you to reduce electricity bills.
Conclusion
Solar batteries are a must to install along with your solar panels. The investment pays off as you become independent with your reliance on energy, shifting from an electrical company towards your own energy source.
