Why Solar On-Grid System Is Best With Battery?
- By Solomon Smith
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- 22 Jun, 2016
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As the solar industry in Europe gears towards hitting the £111bn investment mark in 2016, the more we get to hear about solar batteries in the UK.
Part of the reason this talk is reverberating is because solar on-grid systems can sometimes cause heartache. When a power outage occurs, you cannot use power from your solar system. If this happens during the day, the system is certainly producing power that goes to waste. Your home solar system does not have to lose all its functionality whenever the grid is down. Consider using a solar on-grid system with battery backup and enjoy the following benefits.
Future Energy Security
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) recently published a report with very disturbing prediction for the energy sector- there is a looming energy gap in the UK by 2025. Electricity demand will most likely exceed supply if current policy remains. This is a sign of hard times for homes and facilities that rely on the grid. If you are looking for a brighter future, you might need to add a battery backup to your solar energy system.
The Joy of Complete Independence
You definitely are enjoying the freedom that comes with solar energy already, but you can have even more independence by adding a battery. With it, you have the ability to store solar energy during the day for use at night. Apparently, most of us use the most energy during the night. A battery will help keep your lifestyle intact, by not relying on the black-out-vulnerable grid.
Makes Economic Sense
When you generate more solar energy than you need, the on-grid system sends the excess energy to the grid. Why send this power, while it may be costlier to buy it back in time of need? Having a battery backup to store such energy is a more cost-effective alternative. Instead of exporting, you can store the excess energy and have it freely when you need it. The more the energy prices increase in the UK, the more this arrangement makes sense. Even with the removal of the FIT, the impact of battery back up on property resale value is still high.
You Need Backup
While you can use an only on-grid solar system, choosing not to use a battery backup means that you miss savings and remain vulnerable to power cuts. Remember that the FIT, which has been the major financial benefit of grid-connection all along, is being withdrawn systematically. The fact that the grid in the UK has its own challenges makes it even riskier and expensive to rely solely on solar on-grid. It might be expensive to install a solar on-grid system with battery. Nevertheless, you have no reason to worry - you can retrofit a battery backup to your existing solar on-grid system at very affordable rates, ending up with more resalable property.
England is already witnessing the emergence of different brands of solar batteries for solar on-grid systems.
Adding these to low maintenance and government subsidies makes solar-powered properties even more attractive. Even with the reduction on government subsidies, solar panels can still bring £15,000 worth of savings over a period of 2 decades on average.
This year’s UK Energy Storage Conference will take place between 30 November and 2 December. Last year, the conference covered a range of issues concerning the industry including thermal energy storage, grid-scale energy storage, energy storage for transport and power to gas. What will they be discussing this year? We can only wait and see. In the meantime, a few tell tale signs can tell about what to expect from the energy storage technology in the future.
Enthusiasts were jubilant for the 24 hours that this momentous event lasted. Many are probably still in that mood. As the dust settles, the question many people are asking is whether solar has finally found a resting place in the UK. Is the future clear enough for property owners and stakeholders in the industry to hold steady? Here is why I think the idea of a solar-powered UK is still feasible.
Fortunately, the future of solar energy looks bright in the Land of Hope and Glory. More efficiency and innovation are the major hallmarks the English market is enjoying. A case in point is the plan by First Solar to attain efficiency of 19.5% in the next year for Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) cells. In recent months, solar PV has enjoyed increases in both generation and capacity. There is no doubt that solar installations are attractive to both residential and commercial installations. Are you ready to change with the tide and take control of your energy costs? Here is why you should go solar to achieve this goal.