Managing Home Energy with a Solar Battery
Homeowners who are considering solar often ask: How do I power my home with solar overnight? While a number of utilities in Colorado offer net metering – a practice where customers are credited for contributing solar energy back to their community’s power grid and draw on this “bank” when the sun is down – many homeowners are realizing the benefits of solar battery storage both as a standalone option and in combination with net metering.
Installing battery storage for your solar energy system enables you to power your home without relying on the grid. You can feel safe knowing not only that your home will be powered throughout the night and during inclement weather, but that you have a reliable failsafe in the event of a power outage.
REenergizeCO installs solar battery storage for new and existing home energy systems. Contact our solar power company in Denver or Fort Collins today.
Is Solar Battery Storage Right for Me?
One of the most important factors to consider when deciding to install a solar battery is your home energy consumption. If you tend to use all of the energy your solar panels produce during the day and then rely on the grid to meet your power needs overnight, battery storage may not make sense.
Your solar energy system needs to produce extra energy consistently to keep the battery charged and capable of powering your home at night and in the event of an outage. With this in mind, it is important to be aware how much energy your household uses.
An experienced solar installation company can help you calculate your household energy use, advise you what capacity of storage battery you will need to power your home effectively, and discuss pricing options for installing the battery or upgrading your current system.
Why Do I Need Solar Battery Storage?
Installing a backup solar battery comes with a number of advantages, including:
- Peace of mind – At night, during storms, and in the event of a blackout, you can rest easy knowing that you have an alternative option to power your home.
- Energy savings – A solar storage battery can augment the lower bills you enjoy with solar in several ways. Depending on the configuration of the battery, stored solar energy can enhance your net metering credit or act as your principal power source outside of daytime hours.
- Independence from the grid – Homeowners who go solar love being able to draw less power from the grid. Solar battery storage enhances this independence, enabling your household to draw upon reserves of solar energy when the sun isn’t shining.
The “solar-plus-storage” model is growing in popularity among homeowners. Combining battery storage with net metering enables you to get the full benefits of the latest solar technology.
Does Solar Battery Storage Work with Net Metering?
Many homeowners are able to realize the full benefits of solar by opting for net metering in combination with their utility and installing battery storage. In effect, homeowners with solar battery storage and net metering have multiple options to power their homes outside of daylight hours:
- Stored energy from the battery is consumed overnight, with power from the grid making up the difference as needed.
OR - The homeowner is credited for surplus energy produced during the day and draws power from the grid at night, with the battery as a backup in the event of an outage.
Alternatively, solar storage batteries can be programmed so they only draw power from the grid outside of peak hours (the hours with the highest demand for energy, which are thus the most expense). This is known as time of use management, and it is a great way to avoid paying expensive peak hour prices and save on your energy bills.
If you have net metering and solar battery storage, it is crucial for your system to have an auto transfer switch. When the power goes out, this feature automatically switches you from the grid to your battery backup, ensuring a virtually seamless transition of power.
Solar power systems installed by many other companies lack the option for load service panel backup. Without a backup, both the solar panels and the battery will not work if the grid is unable to provide power due to an outage, However, the auto transfer switches on our systems with DC coupling are unique in their ability to continue generating energy whatever the state of the local power grid.
Discover the Benefits of Solar Battery Storage
Whether you already have a solar energy system for your home or you are thinking about going solar, battery storage provides a number of advantages. The team at REenergizeCO will start by performing a complete home energy audit to assess the power usage of your home and advise you on your suitability for solar battery storage, options for net metering, and more.
REenergizeCO serves solar customers throughout the Colorado Front Range. Please call us in Denver at (303) 227-1000 or in Fort Collins at (970) 323-3191 today to discuss your solar home energy options.
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