Getting the home fitted with a solar energy system is a big event and calls for a lot of research and preparation. One of the things you’ll want to consider is a solar battery, which keeps power stored for later use when the sun isn’t out or when the household is using more energy than the system can generate on its own.
Having a solar battery can be very beneficial, but there are plenty of specifications that will need to be evaluated before making your choice. Let’s go over some of the criteria you need to look at when comparing different solar battery storage systems.
Comparing Solar Storage
When you’re looking at your options, you will see a lot of things that look pretty complex and may deter you from looking any further. However, you can get away with looking at a few key specifications that will help you determine the solar battery storage unit that is best for your home and system.
Power & Capacity
The capacity of a battery is how much electricity can be stored and is measured in kilowatt-hours, or kWh. Most systems allow you to use multiple batteries with your solar battery storage system, allowing you to increase your capacity.
Power is how much electricity your battery is able to deliver when used, which is measured in kilowatts, or kW. Batteries with high capacity but lower power ratings will deliver low amounts of energy over long periods while batteries with high power and low capacity can deliver a lot of energy but not for a long period.
Depth of Discharge
Depth of Discharge, or DoD, is the capacity of the battery that has been used. Most batteries need to have some charge throughout their lifetime to maintain their efficiency and increase their lifetime. Most solar battery storage unit manufacturers will specify the DoD for batteries to maintain optimal performance, so pay attention to this number.
Higher DoDs mean you will be able to use more of the battery’s total capacity.
Power is how much electricity your battery will put out when used while capacity is your battery’s storage capability. Depth of discharge covers how much of your battery’s capacity you can use before you risk damaging the battery and shortening its lifespan. Knowing about these three key numbers will help you immensely in choosing a battery for your home’s solar power system.
