Your backyard and rooftop seem to be good candidates for solar panel installation as they are constantly exposed to sunlight. Still, you might ask yourself what happens on cloudy days, when the energy output isn’t sufficient enough. The answer to this question lies in solar backup storage systems. In this article, you will find out what those systems are and how they function.
Saving Power for Rainy Days
If you’ve recently been thinking about going solar, you’re already aware of all the advantages of solar panel systems. They’ll increase your home value and save you a lot of money over the years. More importantly, solar power will always be there for you. That’s because solar energy is a renewable resource, unlike natural gas or coal.
So, whenever there’s enough sunlight over your panels, your home will be supplied with enough energy. But what happens on rainy and cloudy days when sun rays fail to reach your rooftops? Unfortunately, your solar panels don’t know how to store excess energy on their own. Before you find out how to backup your solar power, let’s see what net metering is.
What’s Net Metering?
Thanks to the changes in weather conditions, your solar panels won’t always produce the same amount of power. Also, your electricity needs won’t always be the same — sometimes you’ll require more energy than you’ve been generating, and other times, you won’t need all the power that your solar system has made. Luckily, net metering will keep track of how much power you need and produce.
It will allow you to connect to your local power grid, where all your excess energy will be stored. This way, you won’t need to worry about running out of electricity on rainy days. Whenever your system isn’t producing the amount of energy you require, you can draw your saved power from the grid.
What’s a Solar Backup System?
While net metering allows you to access your excess power at night or on rainy days, it still isn’t the best solution. That’s because it keeps you dependent on your power company all the time. At peak hours, drawing your power from the local grid may even cost you more money. For that reason, a home solar backup system will be right for you.
This system works by connecting your solar panels to the batteries used for backup. Much like net metering, it allows you to keep track of your energy production and consumption. However, it doesn’t send your excess power to the local grid, where every other household can use it. Instead, all your unused power goes directly to your home battery.
This way, when your system produces more energy than your household needs, you’ll know where it will be. And when your energy needs suddenly increase, or your system doesn’t generate the amount of energy that you’re used to, you can easily draw your excess power from the backup batteries. But how much money will you need to pay for your battery backup system?
For a medium-sized household, these backup systems can cost somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000. Alternatively, you can get a battery backup system that draws power both from your home and the local grid. For such batteries, you can expect to pay around $20,000-$40,000 (without installation costs).
Final Thoughts on Solar Backup Systems
You’ve seen how solar power, regardless of all its benefits, might at times be unreliable due to poor weather conditions. Luckily, net metering and solar backup systems allow you to use all the excess energy you’ve been saving for rainy days. Furthermore, backup battery systems let you keep track of your energy and keep you less dependent on your power company. For that reason, they are the best solution for always keeping all your power close at hand.
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