We are not home solar system installers, although we do know a thing or two about batteries. One of these is you ought never to choose a battery which is too small for the job. Sure you can install an over-size battery provided it delivers the right current for your application, but that costs extra money. Right sizing solar batteries for your home is therefore a critical decision on your purchasing journey.
Right Sizing Capacity for Home Solar Batteries
A home solar battery’s primary job is to process energy from the solar panels for current, and future use. However, it could also pass any surplus power to the utility grid and earn an income to pay for itself. But its capacity will also depend on what the solar panels can deliver.
That said, life is not as simple as that, BSL Batteries explains. We also need to allow for less sunshine in winter, and the fact cold temperatures degrade the performance of the system. Here’s a general rule of thumb they suggest you may like to use.
- Assume for a moment you have a 5kW PV solar system
- That being the case you will need a 10kWh battery
This arrangement should cover your high winter demand, while still being able to deliver two-thirds of energy output to the utility grid. However, we will also need an inverter able to recharge at that rate.
But That’s All Assuming a High Performing Battery
It can be a false economy to purchase the cheapest battery around. That’s because bargain solar systems regularly use minimum-spec components, and their batteries often have shorter lives. But that said, all batteries gradually degrade to a point where their performance degrades significantly.
If you run the numbers you’ll discover you need to replace low capacity batteries sooner, and this can work out more expensive in the long run. It’s also comforting to know you have spare capacity on long cold winter nights. So buy wisely and keep warmer longer.
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