A solar battery is a device that is installed within a solar energy system to store excess power produced by solar panels. It can likewise be charged by electricity from the total grid.

1. How much does a solar battery installation cost? What factors affect the cost of solar battery installation?

solar battery are expensive. Generally speaking, the price of a battery pack for a solar system is about $1,000 per kilowatt hour. However, the exact price can be affected by the type of battery, the size of the solar panel, the cost of installation, and a variety of factors.

1.1 Types of solar battery

All solar battery types have the same basic function, but each type of solar battery is suitable for different types of solar systems. Reliability and return on investment can only be maximized if the chemistry and performance characteristics of the battery are matched to the solar system.

1.1.1 Lead-Acid Batteries

Lead-acid batteries are less expensive and are usually used for off-grid solar PV systems in remote areas. However, it also has certain defects, such as: shorter cycle life and the need to fully charge the battery after each use.

Secondly, when using lead-acid batteries should not be directly connected to the solar panel, the corresponding charge controller needs to be installed to prevent the phenomenon of damage caused by excessive current.

1.1.2 Lithium-ion battery

Lithium-ion batteries as a hot battery type in recent years, compared with lead-acid batteries have better performance. Among them, the performance of lithium iron phosphate batteries is particularly good, can maintain 80% of the charge under the premise of 4000-5000 times the number of cycles. At the same time, there is no need to install a separate charge controller for it. But the cost of lithium iron phosphate batteries is also the highest of many battery types.

1.1.3 Nickel-cadmium batteries

Nickel-cadmium batteries are not common on the market, it has a long service life, high temperature resistance, simple maintenance and other characteristics. However, the cadmium in it is highly toxic to humans, so this type of battery is not common in home solar systems, instead it is often used in industry.

1.2 The number of solar battery installed

The first thing we need to know about solar battery is that they are designed to store excess electricity produced by the solar system for use at night or in bad weather. This means that the amount of energy you need during a power outage determines how many solar battery you need to install, which ultimately affects the cost of the solar array.

Calculating the number of batteries you need to install takes into account how much excess power the solar panels are sized to generate during the day, how much power is needed to run the appliances necessary for your home, and how long the night-time or blackout situation will last. All of these determinants will change with the condition of the house.

1.3 Labor Costs of Installing solar battery

In addition to the costs associated with the solar battery themselves, the cost of the labor required to install them will also affect the cost of the solar array to some extent. Generally speaking, when solar battery are installed together with solar panels, their installation cost will be lower. Adding solar battery after the solar panels have been installed will result in greater labor costs, as the previously connected wiring and electrical work will need to be removed and reconnected. It will also entail a more cumbersome process and will lengthen the installation time to a certain extent.

2. Are solar battery worth it? What are the benefits that solar battery can bring to homeowners?

Generally speaking, it is worthwhile to install solar battery to accompany your solar panels. However, this does not mean that all solar panels need to have solar battery installed.

2.1 Reduced Electricity Bills

The most significant advantage of installing solar battery is the ability to save money on electricity bills by reducing the amount of electricity homeowners have to purchase from the total grid. When your solar panels are not installed with solar battery, they are only guaranteed to function for your appliances during the daytime, when there is plenty of light, and at night or during extended periods of inclement weather, you will still need to purchase power from the main grid. If your solar panels are fitted with solar battery, you will be able to store excess power for night time use when the sun is shining.

According to statistics, a home solar system without batteries only meets about 40%-60% of the electricity consumption, while with batteries installed, it can meet nearly 80%-100% of the electricity consumption.

2.2 Environmental protection

Generally, electricity sold from the main grid is generated by burning fossil fuels, which generates large amounts of toxic and greenhouse gas emissions. Installing solar battery reduces the amount of electricity purchased from the mains grid, which means that you can further reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to global environmental protection. It is estimated that installing solar battery can reduce your carbon footprint by more than half in terms of household electricity consumption.

2.3 Maintaining power in emergencies

If you are able to purchase power directly to meet your basic energy needs at night or in poor lighting conditions, you will not be able to purchase power from the grid in the event of a grid maintenance outage or a catastrophic emergency outage. The ability of the solar battery to utilize its stored power to ensure the family’s basic energy needs allows it to play an unexpected role in emergency situations.

2.4 Participate in the Solar Virtual Power Plant Program

The Solar Virtual Power Plant Program, or VPP, is a program whereby homeowners license their solar panels and solar battery to a VPP operator, and the excess power stored in the solar battery can be sold to other users through the grid, while receiving benefits from the VPP operator, such as direct cash exchange, discounts on solar products, and a certain amount of bonus feed-in tariffs. For homeowners who have installed solar battery, this is a great way to accelerate the recovery of upfront costs.

3. Other issues about solar battery

3.1 What is the return on investment and payback period for solar battery? And what factors affect the return on investment of solar battery?

The first thing we need to know about calculating the ROI and payback period of a solar battery is that the source of the solar battery’s revenue depends on how much electricity it stores and how much it saves a household from having to buy.

According to statistics, installing solar battery can satisfy about 30% more of a household’s electricity consumption. Based on the average electricity consumption of each household, it can save the family about $1500-$2000 per year, with a payback period of 10-15 years. However, the warranty of solar battery used in the market can only reach 5-10 years, compared to its upfront cost of up to $20,000, these low returns mean that most solar battery do not recover their upfront cost within their lifetime.

There are a number of factors that affect the return on investment of a solar battery, one of the most important being the utilization rate of the solar battery. When you install solar battery, due to their high investment cost, you can only get a better return on your investment if you increase the utilization rate of the cells to 80%. This also requires you to install enough solar panels, which invariably increases the overall cost of the solar system.

3.2 Under what circumstances is it not necessary to install solar battery for solar panels?

First of all, we need to know that installing solar panels is not a small expense, so when you decide to install solar panels, you should consider whether your solar system needs such panels.

The main benefit of a solar array for a homeowner is its ability to store excess power, thus reducing the need for the homeowner to buy power from the main grid. However, if your solar system is connected to the grid and your local utility company is able to provide net metering, it also means that you can send the excess power directly into the main grid and receive a certain amount of credit in return. This is actually no different in nature than a solar array, but can save you tens of thousands of dollars in the cost of installing a solar array.

Next, you need to consider whether your local government offers rebates and incentives on solar battery. For a cost as large as solar battery, which may not always pay for itself, if your local government offers you a rebate, it can greatly reduce your costs and help to increase the return on your investment in solar battery.