Do I need batteries for my solar energy system?

If you’ve been looking to install a solar panel system recently, you’ve probably come across the topic of solar batteries. Despite the fact that battery systems are becoming increasingly popular, many homeowners still don’t know a lot about them.

Early in the morning (just before sunrise or when sunlight is still faint) and during the evening (when sunlight is fading) are times with lower solar production, but higher energy needs. You’re waking up and getting ready for the day, or making dinner and doing homework with the kids. That’s when you’ll need a lot of power, but when solar panel production is just getting momentum or tapering off.

During these times (and especially at night) people with solar power often draw power from the grid, which acts as a giant energy backup system. When the sun’s shining you use your fresh, solar generated power when it’s not you draw from the grid.

This kind of setup is called a grid-tied system. This could be considered a way to “store energy” without needing a battery system.

You’ll probably produce even more energy than you need midday when the sun is shining fully. You can send that excess power back to the grid and earn credit. This is essentially “storing” that energy on the grid to use later. When you need power at night, your system kicks into reverse and pulls the power you need. Even if you don’t produce extra electricity, you can still pull from the grid if you’re connected to it.

If you have your own battery installed, you don’t need the grid much, if at all. You store your own energy and pull from that. The grid acts a backup to the backup.

In other words, a solar battery simply stores the energy generated by the solar panels in your energy system.

Also, the storage ability of different kinds of solar batteries corresponds to their capacity. Instead of returning solar electricity directly to your grid, the solar battery collects it for later use. When your battery is fully charged, the system will send electricity back to the grid. When the battery is used and its charge gets depleted, then the battery will resume charging and draw electricity from the panels once more.

So, the short answer to the question, “Do I need batteries for my solar energy system?” is no. However, keeping a solar battery backup is advantageous in particular situations. But it is not essential for everyone. You can get power from your rooftop panels directly, and batteries are for additional power storage.

If you simply like the idea of being completely independent of the grid or using 100% clean energy, a battery is probably your answer. While it would be nice to only pull your own clean energy back from the grid, that’s not necessarily how it works. When you pull grid power, it’s from a general pool, which could include sources from fossil fuel plants.

Hybrid systems are solar with battery banks and grid connection all working in concert together. The batteries are set to maximize using your own solar power and are available for use when the grid goes down. In normal scenarios, if your own solar and battery generation isn’t enough, you’ll have grid power to draw from.

Aztek Solar can help you get the most reliable solar energy for your home. Our team works with your budget and goals to help you harness the cleanest and most reliable energy available for your home. Available tax incentives can often offset a portion of your costs. Navigating energy tax credits, potential rebates, and incentives can be overwhelming, but our solar energy specialists consult with every client to maximize your return on investment!

Thanks for reading!

Brian McKay
aka The Solar Guy