How to choose the most suitable solar battery?

High energy prices and the high cost of living in the last months of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 have led to the search for maximum financial savings in Spanish households. One of the most effective options to spend less on your electricity bill is installation of solar panels. Of course, when choosing a unit you need to ask yourself questions and get good answers. For example, how to choose suitable solar battery for your self-consumption system?

The reason is that not all batteries for solar panels are the same and there are several factors to consider for your selection. A solar battery for self-consumption is a device in which the energy generated by the solar panels of a photovoltaic installation is stored, but there are several types and they have different characteristics and benefits.

In addition, it is necessary to differentiate between a solar battery and a solar battery It is a device that converts chemical energy into electricity. A battery is actually made up of several accumulators, so although they look the same, they are different devices.

Based on this explanatory definition, at , as experts in solar photovoltaic energy, we would like to explain to you, firstly, how solar batteries work; and later how to choose the most suitable one for your installation self-consumption for homes or for your business.

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How solar batteries work

The use of solar cells in a photovoltaic installation allows users to obtain a higher return from said installation due to the accumulation of energy. Which in turn allows for greater energy independence in homes or businesses and significant savings on the electricity bill added to the use of solar panels.

We also have to comment that there is not only one type of solar battery, but that there are several such as open lead-acid batteries, AGM, lithium batteries, gel batteries or the calls stationary batteries. And depending on the type, the useful life is longer or shorter (from a minimum of 3 years to a maximum of 15 years).

But how do solar batteries work in self-consumption systems? P.O.W explain to you

Step 1: Energy is generated

First of all, the photovoltaic installation generates energy from sunlight, which is captured by the solar panels.

Step 2: energy storage

The second step in the operation of solar batteries is to store the solar photovoltaic energy that is generated. In this way, the batteries are charged with energy and store it for later use. It is called the amount of electricity from each battery charge loading depth.

Step 3: discharge stored energy

Next, the energy stored in the batteries is discharged, which happens when the electricity generation is not enough to cover the energy consumption of the home or the place where the installation is located.

Step 4: Selling the surplus to the network

And finally, at times when electricity generation is greater than consumption and the solar cells are fully charged, surplus or excess energy occurs. Thus, this surplus is sold to the electricity grid.

Factors to choose the best solar battery for self-consumption

Next, we focus on explaining some of the most important factors to consider in choosing the best solar battery for your self-consumption system. Bearing in mind, as previously mentioned, of the differences between a battery and a solar battery that you should know

Storage capacity

The first factor we focus on is storage capacity of solar batteries: that is, how much energy they are able to store, which is measured in Ampere/hour.

This capacity is calculated as follows: the voltage is multiplied by the amperage that the battery accumulators have. And among the parameters that influence the storage capacity are the amperage (intensity of the electric current), the voltage and the rate of discharge of the energy that the battery has.

Durability of the solar battery

The durability It is another factor to explain to know which is the most suitable solar battery for a self-consumption installation. To give more examples, low-end lead-acid batteries have a lifespan of 3 to 5 years, while high-end lithium batteries last up to 15 years with good quality.

In relation to issues such as the rate of energy discharge or discharge cycles, you should know that the useful life of solar cells is shorter the more cycles. Similarly, the greater the loading depth, the durability of solar batteries for self-consumption decreases.

Compatibility with solar panels

Third, we talk about compatibility of batteries with solar panels and especially with investors. They are responsible for converting the direct current generated in the photovoltaic panels into sinusoidal alternating current, which allows the batteries to function.

In order for there to be compatibility between batteries and solar panels or inverters, it is necessary to ensure that they work at the same time. same voltage. At the same voltage, problems in the installation and in the electrical network, such as short circuits or low efficiency, will be avoided.

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Intended use of the photovoltaic installation

Finally, the option for one type of battery or another will also depend on the intended use of the installation itself. This means that depending on factors such as usage cycles or depth of charge, solar cells will last longer or shorter.

And so far this explanation of everything necessary to know how to choose the most suitable solar batteries for a self-consumption solar installation. An important decision if you have solar panels in your home, building or business and want to get the most out of the performance they provide.