Have you recently added solar panels to your home? Or are you considering a solar power installation at your home?
If so, you probably have a lot of questions. Even though solar power is cheaper than ever before, it’s still a large expense for most people.
One question that most people ask is related to storing solar energy. Can your home be storing solar energy for later use?
The answer depends. There are ways to do it, but you have to ask yourself if it makes sense to invest in the extra cost. There may be a cheaper and easier way to get energy at night or on cloudy days.
Keep reading to learn all about storing excess solar energy as well as the methods for storing solar energy.
1. You Need Energy at Night
When solar panels generate electricity by converting the sun’s light rays, the electricity needs to be used right away. For the most part, solar panels at your home power your home the instant that the conversion takes place.
In effect, your solar panels are always working, since there is likely always power on in your home. But what about at nighttime?
At night, where there is no solar energy, your panels aren’t doing anything. They can’t generate electricity when the sun isn’t present. But you still need power.
Lightbulbs, televisions, computers, air conditioners, and so forth all still need to run at nighttime. And solar panels by themselves are incapable of storing solar energy for night use. Therefore, you’ll need a solution if you’d like to bypass paying for fossil fuel electricity from your power company, though that is always an option.
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2. You Can Generate Solar on a Cloudy Day
You also need to power your home on cloudy days, the same you would on a sunny day. And contrary to popular belief, solar panels do work on cloudy days.
Even though it’s darker, the ultraviolet rays from the sun can penetrate through even the thickest clouds. That’s why you can still get a sunburn on a cloudy day.
While panels work best on a fully sunny day, they still generate some degree of electricity on cloudy days. Residential power consumption is usually much less during the day since most adults are gone at work and kids are gone at school.
So the amount generated under the clouds may still be enough to power your home during the day. You can click here for more information on panel effectiveness under the clouds.
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3. Storing Solar Energy Is Possible With a Battery
So is there an option to continue powering your home fully at night or on cloudy days when your panels aren’t generating enough electricity? Absolutely, but it comes at a cost.
You can opt to have a solar battery installed at your home and connected to your panels. Because they are quite expensive, they don’t come standard with installations.
With a battery installed, your panels can send excess energy produced to the battery. The battery then charges up and holds the electricity until the panels are no longer generating enough electricity on their own, such as when the sun is setting.
Then, your battery kicks in to start powering your home. They are very useful at night and on darker days. They allow you to skip having to draw power from the electricity grid and pay your utility provider.
Many times, your solar panels produce more electricity than can be used at any one time, especially on sunny summer days. Having a battery in place can capture this energy and save you money in the long run.
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4. Net Metering
While a solar battery might seem like a great idea, it might not be the best option for you. Solar batteries are expensive, and they might not be able to store as much energy as your home needs.
An alternative to a solar battery is the net metering program, available throughout much of the country. With this program, your panels are connected to the electricity grid.
Instead of storing excess electricity generated by the panels, you actually send it back to your power company. In return, they send you credits for the amount of electricity you send them.
Then, when you need additional power at nighttime or on cloudy days, you draw electricity from your power company. Instead of paying for it in the form of a utility bill, you use up any credits you’ve earned from the power company.
In a sense, it’s kind of like storing your excess electricity with your utility provider. Because the cost of storing solar energy with a battery is high, most homeowners instead take advantage of the net metering program.
You’ll still be able to live without an electric bill. And if you generate more electricity than you end up drawing from your power provider, they’ll even send you a check at the end of the year for any unused credits. Not a bad deal!
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5. Panel Placement Matters
Whether you plan to store your excess energy in a home battery, or you plan to sell it to your provider, the best thing you can do is make your panels work as efficiently as possible. Either way, if you generate the maximum amount of electricity, you win.
To do this, panel placement and orientation matter. In general, you want your panels facing to the south, to capitalize on the sun’s position year-round.
If the slope of your roof doesn’t face this direction, consider a ground installation if you have the space. Otherwise, get recommendations from a local solar installer who can determine the best panel placement for your property.
They’ll also be able to look at how much power your home draws on a regular basis so you know how many panels you should invest in.
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Ditch the Utility Bills
Now that you know more about storing solar energy, you can decide which path is best for you. Either way, you can ditch the electric bill and save money every single month. So there’s no reason not to install solar panels and start living more eco-friendly today.
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