A solar battery should last at least five years. Many last considerably longer with the right care. We have several factors to consider in deciding the size of solar batteries. It is entirely possible to keep the electricity on all night using solar energy harvested in daytime. We just need to know how to choose a solar battery set-up that’s right-sized for us.
How to Choose a Solar Battery Set-Up for Your Home
We will assume you already have your solar panels, and maybe have installed them too. Your electrician has made the required adjustments to your home grid. After you connect the solar batteries up, you can turn on and are good to go.
We know the average U.S. family uses 30 kilowatts of electricity daily. So if you purchased three, 10 kW batteries you should have all the energy you need for this level of consumption. So now you know how to choose a solar battery set-up in theory for your home.
However, there is another factor to consider, namely our individual electricity demand curve.
We do not use the 30 kilowatts of electricity daily in a straight line. In fact, we use relatively little at night, with just the refrigerator ticking over.
Provided the sun is shining, we can continue topping up the batteries during daytime, and so perhaps two could do the job. Please do allow a little leeway since battery capacity reduces gradually as they age.
How to Choose a Battery Set-up That Works for You
Your final decision depends on your energy goals. If your desire is to be entirely off-grid, then we recommend purchasing all three batteries in this example. Moreover, you could even consider a fourth one as a spare if you are living in the back woods. If you living in the city, you might well get away with two. And import electricity from the utility on cloudy winter days.
Related
The Right Battery Type for Solar Power
How to Calculate Battery Capacity
Preview Image: Off-Grid Inverter & Storage
