Solar panels alone will not operate during a power outage if they are not connected to a solar battery. After the recent winter storm in Texas, people are becoming more interested in ways to protect themselves should they be without power from their utility company. A solar battery can be attached to your solar panels and allow you to store power to keep vital devices and appliances working during an outage. Solar batteries can also be used in an application called time-of-use to help reduce your energy cost by saving power to be used during the most expensive times of the day.
Solar panels are an excellent way to supply your home with renewable and reliable solar power and are becoming more prevalent as they become cheaper to produce and buy. A solar battery energy storage system is the next step in upgrading a home solar system, providing a battery backup that stores power even if the connection to the power grid has been lost.
After seeing the winter storm disaster in Texas that resulted in an estimated 3.3 million households losing power during an almost unprecedented cold snap, the importance of having a Plan B in place for power generation has been thrust to the fore of many people’s minds. Similar blackouts have been coming with more regularity across the United States, the most recent example being the California wildfires which caused a blackout affecting several hundreds of thousand homes. With the United States’ power grid showing its cracks on a more regular basis, solar energy systems are a viable way of protecting households from blackouts.
Depending on the size of the battery used, a solar battery can power the most essential appliances in any home in the event of a blackout. It provides a safer and cleaner alternative to a generator, which fills the same function but runs on fossil fuels. A solar battery will work as long as the house’s solar panels are providing energy, while a generator requires constant refilling of gas (and is ridiculously loud).
Solar batteries are the cleanest and most efficient way to secure a home against the dangers of rolling blackouts. Having a backup is especially important if a household has vital medical equipment that must always remain on or is the base for a business that needs to continue running regardless of blackouts. A solar battery provides a layer of protection between a household and utility companies that are becoming more and more unreliable as the United States power grid continues to age.
Besides being an excellent source of backup power, a solar panel and solar battery setup help cut costs around the house. If solar panels are connected to the power grid, any excess power they create after powering a home can be sold back to the power company through a process called net metering. Net metering is available on a state-by-state basis and if available can easily be set up with help from local solar energy companies.
Time-of-use is another great application for a solar battery set-up. Time-of-Use stores power for use during the peak energy consumption hours in the evening. During peak hours, prices for power from the utility company go up. Using the power generated by a solar system during these peak hours avoids paying for power during the most expensive portion of the day.
Solar panels are a great source of power that allows households to cut down on their reliance on traditional utility companies. When paired with a solar battery, solar panels also provide a reliable backup in the event of a power blackout, providing a layer of protection against freak weather events and unreliable utility companies.
